Single-crystal electrolytes impurities

Figure J. Preparation of a welJ-defined single-crystal electrode by four steps, (a) Mirror-rinished crystal is annealed under gas flame, and (b) quenched in air and then pure water, (c) The crystal is covered with a droplet of pure water to protect it from pollution by impurities in air and (d) is introduced into the cell, where the crystal contacts the meniscus of the electrolyte solution. (From Ref. 25.)...

In order to examine how impurities affect the resistance of both single-crystal and polycrystalline zirconia, samples were prepared and resistance was measured. Samples of polycrystalline zirconia and the zirconia single aystal with the same concentration of Y2O3 were used at temperatures of 400-800 C. The results of testing are shown in Figure 4.8. Based on the fact that the higher the sintering conditions of polycrystalline zirconia, the less the resistance and porosity of solid electrolyte... 

It was shown that "odd" forbidden small-angle reflections in the X-ray pattern appeared even from a fresh fracture of a single crystal at room temperature [1-3]. Therefore, the surface layer of the electrolyte cannot be attributed to contamination of the SOE surface with impurities, primarily silicon (see, for example, [32]). Impurities and, also, segregation of SOE components, e.g., yttrium, on the electrolyte surface undoubtedly influence properties of the SOE surface layer. 

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