Low-Temperature Electrochemical Synthesis of ZrO2 Films on Zirconium Substrates: Deposition of Thick Amorphous Films and in situ Crystallization on Zirconium Anode |
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Authors: | Takayuki Tsukada Sridhar Venigalla James H Adair |
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Affiliation: | Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 |
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Abstract: | The feasibility of synthesizing crystalline ZrO2 films at low temperatures was evaluated using an electrochemical method. Anodization of zirconium-metal substrates in tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide (TEAOH) solutions under constant applied voltage conditions at ~25° and ~100°C was investigated. The chemistry and microstructure of the anodic oxide films deposited on the zirconium-metal substrates under the above conditions were characterized using X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that, with sufficiently high applied voltages (in the range of 300 V) at pH ~9.5, the initial dissolution of the zirconium anode resulted in the local saturation of the electrolyte solution with Zr4+, forming Zr(OH)?5, which deposited electrophoretically on the anode as a thick, gelatinous film at 25°C. Similar treatments at 100°C resulted in an in situ crystallization of Zr(OH)4 gel to monoclinic ZrO2. |
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