Research Projects

Zirconia is a versatile material with various chemical characteristics and temperature-dependent polymorphs, including monoclinic, tetragonal, and cubic phases. Its high temperature ionic conductivity makes it suitable for applications in oxygen sensors, oxygen pumps, and solid oxide fuel cells. The fabricated materials are wear-resistant, hard, and have high fracture toughness, making them suitable for various structural ceramic industries. One of the applications of zirconia is in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), where a dual conductor is needed. Carbon nano tube doped-zirconia composite can be used as an anode material in SOFCs, with the c-ZrO2 part serving as an ionic conductor and the CNT part serving as an electronic conductor. The Ni-YSZ (NiO and Yttria stabilized zirconia composite) cermet is widely used due to its low cost, good chemical stability, and better electronic and ionic conductivities. CNT stabilized cubic zirconia cermet composite (CNT-Z) is yet to be tested, but it has the advantage of perfect matching between the chemical and thermal parameters of CNT and ceramic components. The primary objectives of this work are to stabilize the cubic zirconia phase by CNT addition and to electrically characterize CNT-Z nanocomposites. The excellent electronic conductivity of CNT and its easy oxidization into states that stabilize the c-ZrO2 phase motivate the preparation of these composites.