Oxygen ionic transport in Bi₂O₃-based oxides: II. The Bi₂O₃–ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ and Bi₂O₃–Nb₂O₅–Ho₂O₃ solid solutions

Abstract

Electrical conductivity, fluorite-type cubic unit cell volume and thermal expansion of the (Bi_{1− x} Nb _x )_{1− y} Ho _y O_1.5+δ (x=0.05 and 0.08; y=0.10−0.15) and (Bi_{1− x} Zr _x )_{1− y} Y _y O_1.5+δ (x=0.05 and 0.07; y=0.15) solid solutions have been found to decrease regularly with increasing dopant content. Annealing at temperatures below 900 K leads to a phase decomposition and to a sharp decrease in conductivity of the ceramics. Oxygen ion transference numbers have been determined by the e.m.f. method and by Faradaic efficiency measurement to exceed 0.9. A new technique of studying Faradaic efficiency has been proposed and verified using (Bi_0.95Zr_0.05)_0.85Y_0.15O_1.5+δ and Zr_0.90Y_0.10O_1.95 ceramic samples.