The effects on the molar compositions (ZrO2)0· 92 (Y2O3)0· 04 and (ZrO2)0· 82 (Y2O3)0· 04 (Pr2O3)0· 05 of preparation method, including the traditional ceramic method and several sol–gel methods, and of doping with praseodymium have been studied. Powders fired at 500°C were sieved at 60 µm, uniaxially pressed, and fired at 1600°C for 2 h. The resulting compacts were characterised by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM–EDX, density measurements, and Vickers microhardness testing. The results indicate that praseodymium addition stabilises cubic zirconia rather than the tetragonal polymorph and that it also improves microhardness and densification of the material.
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