Electrospinning and characterisation of ceria doped yttria fibres

Abstract

Homogeneous inorganic-organic composite fibres were produced using electrospinning technique from alcoholic solutions containing polyvinyl butyral and precursors of yttrium and cerium ions. Upon heat treatment, ceria and yttria doped ceria fibres retaining the original morphological features observed in the as spun composition were obtained. X-ray diffraction was used to identify the crystalline phases of the final products. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis were used to study the ceramic phase formation and the evolution of morphological features of the fibres. Thus, several micrometres long, uniform ceria and yttria doped ceria fibres of high phase purity were produced. The CeO₂ and the CeO₂ with Y₂O₃ fibres presented average diameter that ranged from 19 to 25 μm, and the distribution of specific surface ranged from 33 to 43 m² g⁻¹.