Abstract: Objective: To prepare the 3mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia (3Y-TZP) nano-powders by using salt-assisted solution combustion synthesis (SSCS) method. Methods: 3Y-TZP nano-powders were prepared via the SSCS and freeze drying method. Thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to evaluate the ignition temperature of the precursors, the phase structure, the crystallite size, morphology, and size distribution of 3Y-TZP nano-powders. Effects of the density of zirconium ion, the ignition temperature of the precursors, the molar ratios of metal ion to urea and metal ion to KCL on size of powders were determined by orthogonal test. Results: The optimal conditions were determined as follows: 0.085 mol/L zirconium ion, 1 molar ratio of metal ion to urea, 3 molar ratio of metal ion to KCL, and ignition temperature 400℃.The products were tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia and 2.9~9.0nm in crystalline size analyzed via XRD. Under the optimal conditions, the micrographs of nano-particles were sphericity, well dispersion and low-agglomeration. The particle size was 5.38nm on the average. Conclusion: 3Y-TZP nano-powders can be prepared by the SSCS method and have high-purity, small crystalline size, narrow size distribution and low-agglomeration.

Key words: Salt-assisted solution, Combustion, 3Y-TZP , Nano-powders