Modified hydrothermal treatment route for high-yield preparation of nanosized ZrO2

Nanosized ZrO₂ particles are applied in high-performance thermal barrier coatings and catalyst carriers. To synthesize nanosized zirconia, precipitation from aqueous solutions followed by hydrothermal treatment is widely conducted. In this work, a modified hydrothermal treatment route is described for high-yield fabrication of well-dispersible nanosized t–ZrO₂. Zirconium oxychloride and sodium hydroxide were used as the precursor and precipitant, respectively. N, N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) glycine (bicine) was used as surface stabilizer to inhibit the early agglomeration of nuclei, and ultrasonication was used to enhance the dispersion of ZrO₂ nanocrystals. The hydrothermal treatment was optimized for reaction temperature, time, fill fraction, and solid content. The synthesized zirconia was characterized using X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The yield of zirconia increased to 134 g/L after hydrothermal. Tetragonal ZrO₂ obtained with hydrothermal treatment at 200 °C for 8 h at a fill fraction of 80% has a good dispersibility, with an average particle size of 20 nm and a narrow size distribution.