Estimation of diffusion coefficients for zirconia

Grain growth and sintering phenomena of zirconia (ZrO{sub 2}) ultra-fine particles were observed by in situ heating up to 1200{degrees}C in a 400 kV transmission electron microscope. The rates of grain boundary migration and sliding of lattice planes on the surface of ZrO{sub 2} ultra-fine particles were measured by the in situ recorded video-system. With these values, the grain boundary diffusion coefficient D{sub gb} was calculated to be 1.4x10{sup {minus}17}m{sup 2}/s at 1200{degrees}C in accordance with Turnbull`s theory and surface self-diffusion coefficient D{sub s} was estimated to be 2.2x10{sup {minus}17}m{sup 2}/s at 1200{degrees}C according to Herring-Mullins` theory.