METALLURGICAL AND MATERIALS TRANSACTIONS A-PHYSICAL METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE, sa.5, ss.2282-2288, 2017 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Doped ceria electrolytes of Ce0.8Sm0.20O1.90 (SDC), Ce0.8Er0.08Sm0.12O1.90 (ESDC),
Ce0.8Gd0.08Sm0.12O1.90 (GSDC), and Ce0.8Nd0.08Sm0.12O1.90 (NSDC) were prepared by a
citric–nitrate combustion process. The thermal decomposition of the precursor was investigated
by simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis experiments. The
phase structure of the calcined and sintered powders was characterized by X-ray diffraction
analysis. All of the samples were fluorite-type ceria-based solid solutions. The calcined and
sintered powders were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning
electron microscopy was used to characterize the samples after calcination and sintering. A
relative density over 95 percent of the theoretical density was achieved after the sintering
process. Electrical conductivities of the sintered samples were measured using the impedance
spectra method. The highest ionic conductivity value was found to be 5.28 9 102 S cm1 at
1023 K (750 C) for GSDC sintered at 1673 K (1400 C) for 6 hours.