High Sinterability of Planetary-Bead-Milled Barium Zirconate

Abstract

Sintering is an important process in the preparation of solid electrolytes. Milling of the precursor powders generally increases their sinterability, and thus, an effective milling method is important to obtain dense electrolytes. In this study, we demonstrate that planetary bead milling provides nanosize precursor powders with markedly high sinterability. For BaZrO₃, a proton-conducting oxide with low sinterability in its unmilled state, planetary bead milling with 0.2 mm beads enables a reduction in sintering temperature to 1400–1500°C, which is 300–400°C lower than usual. We also discuss the effect of bead milling on microstructure and conductivity.