Solid-State Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Gadolinium Zirconate Using Mechanical Activation

Nanocrystalline gadolinium zirconate, Gd2Zr2O7, has been prepared by solid-state reaction, using mechanical activation of a stoichiometric mixture of Gd2O3 and ZrO2. The mechanical activation was performed in an AGO-2 centrifugal planetary mill for 10 min. The processes that occurred during heat treatment of the mechanically activated mixture of gadolinium and zirconium oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, and a combination of thermoanalytical techniques. The average crystallite size of gadolinium zirconate prepared by calcining the mechanically activated oxide mixture at 1100 and 1200°C for 3 h was 29 and 68 nm, respectively, as determined using the Scherrer formula.