Effect of maltose for the crystallization of tetragonal zirconia

A new method was used to prepare the tetragonal zirconia and high temperature X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and thermo gravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) were employed to study the process of the formation and variation of crystal zirconia. The high temperature XRD results showed that [Nature 258 (1975) 703] during the formation of zirconia from zirconium hydroxide, the addition of maltose favored the phase transformation of zirconia from amorphous to tetragonal as the calcination temperature rises (from about 400 to 550 °C), and then monoclinic zirconia gradually formed as the temperature increases (from about 550 to 846 °C), [Appl. Catal. 71 (1991) 363] tetragonal zirconia would partly transform into monoclinic one during the annealing, and which implies that the suitable calcinations temperature for the preparation of tetragonal zirconia should be controlled lower than 550 °C. In addition, it is suggested that the combination of high temperature XRD and TG-DSC is a powerful tool to approach the process of the formation of solid materials.