Abstract:
The paper presents the results of studies of the influence of phase formation processes with variations in
annealing temperature on the processes of stabilization of the crystal structure, optical and thermal properties of
Nd2Zr2O7 ceramics, which have great potential for use in optoelectronic applications due to the transitions of Nd3
ions, as well as high stability to external factors with the possibility of creating transparent ceramics. During the
conducted studies it was established that the stabilization temperature of the Nd2Zr2O7 phase is 1100–1250 ◦C, at
which the throughput is maximum, and the thermal conductivity coefficient is about 2.1–2.2 W/m × K. The
assessment of phase transformations and changes in optical properties revealed that an elevation in the annealing
temperature, leading to stabilization of the Nd2Zr2O7 phase, leads to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen
vacancies in the structure of ceramics; however, at temperatures above 1200 ◦C, the observed growth in oxygen
vacancies is due to the effects of substitution of Zr4+ cations by Nd3+ cations, which results in formation of
additional oxygen vacancies in the structure, alongside impurity inclusions in the form of a cubic phase of Zr(Nd)
O2, which is a product of phase polymorphic transformations during high-temperature annealing. Alterations in
the thermophysical properties of Nd2Zr2O7 ceramics are directly dependent on phase formation processes and
associated changes in the concentration of oxygen vacancies, which are the determining factor influencing the
heat transfer rate.
