BISMUTH OXIDE BASED CERAMICS WITH IMPROVED ELECTRICAL AND M E C H A N I C A L PROPERTIES Part I. Preparation and characterisation

I N T R O D U C T I O N Stabilised ~ bismuth oxide based systems form a new generation of compounds capable of improved performance in oxygen pump and oxygen sensor applications compared to the conventional stabilised zirconia based materials. The high temperature isomorph of bismuth oxide, the ~ phase, is an excellent oxygen ion conductor (I). This phase can be stabilised to room temperature by the presence of several rare earth cations (2-7). Of the various solid solutions studied, erbium oxide stabilised bismuth oxide has the highest reported ionic conductivity (6,8). The solid solutions between bismuth oxide and erbium oxide are author for correspondance. On leave from Indian Petrochemical Corporation Ltd, Baroda, India.