Pore morphology in sintered ZrO2–8 mol% Y2O3 ceramic: a small-angle neutron scattering investigation

Pore morphology and pore size distribution in yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO₂–8 mol% Y₂O₃) have been investigated, for two sintering temperatures, namely 1200 and 1270 °C, using small-angle neutron scattering. The results show that the reduction in the porosity, at 1270 °C compared to that at 1200 °C, occurs by the elimination of the pores at the lower end of the pore size distribution. In addition, the polydispersity is also lower at 1270 °C and the nature of the distribution is altered significantly near the smaller radius range. The average pore size shifts towards the higher radius range. The specific surface area of the pores is also diminished at 1270 °C because of the elimination of the finer pores.