Effect of Catalytic Alcohol Conversion on the Mechanical Strength of Porous ZrO2 and ZrO2 + Y2O3 Materials

The surface and bulk properties of ZrO2 and ZrO2 + Y2O3 powder compacts are studied by x-ray diffraction, x-ray electron spectroscopy, electron spin resonance, and Raman scattering spectroscopy. Heat treatment in air at 450–800°C and catalytic conversion of methanol and ethanol on the surface of the compacts are found to have a significant effect on their mechanical strength. The results offer some insight into the nature of surface diffusion, which reduces the area of intergranular contacts, thereby raising the mechanical strength of the material, and provide indirect evidence that similar molecular mechanisms underlie the strengthening of metal and oxide powder compacts by heat treatment and catalytic reactions.