Influence of synthesis conditions on the preparation of zirconia powder by the glycothermal method

Nanocrystalline zirconia powders have been prepared by the reaction of zirconium n-propoxide in 1,4-butanediol and 1,5-pentanediol at 300 °C for 2 h. The influences of concentration of zirconium n-propoxide in the solution and drying condition on primary and secondary particle size, and pore system of the powders were investigated. When 1,4-butanediol was used, increasing the concentration of zirconium n-propoxide increased the primary and secondary particle size and BET surface area while the physical properties of zirconia prepared in 1,5-pentanediol were not affected by such factors. To investigate the effect of drying method, glycol was removed from the autoclave at reaction temperature instead of by the conventional process in which the product is washed in methanol and air-dried. This change improved the pore system of powders prepared in 1,5-pentanediol, probably through the reduction of coagulation among the ultrafine particles during the drying process.