Structural and electrical properties of BaZr0.7Ce0.2Y0.1O3−δ proton conducting ceramic fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Abstract Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is an attractive method to obtain fully densified polycrystalline ceramics at rapid sintering rates. Cerium- and yttrium-doped barium zirconate, BaZr0.7Ce0.2Y0.1O3−δ, was prepared by a SPS route, resulting in high values of density of above 98%. Investigations of microstructural and crystallographic properties with determination of grain sizes were performed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction and Static Light Scattering and discussed in correlation to bulk and grain boundary conductivities obtained by AC impedance spectroscopy. Samples prepared by SPS were generally found to consist of small grains that exhibit high bulk conductivities, whereas their grain boundary conductivities were comparably small, possibly also dominated by the presence of minor phases.