The sinterability of a submicrometre-sized Sm-doped ceria solid solution powder (SDC, powder A) with a composition of Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 and a mechanically mixed submicrometre-sized Sm2O3-CeO2 powder (powder B) was studied at 1300-1550 oC in air in order to make a practical solid electrolyte disk of 150 mm diameter. No phase change was observed in powder A heated at 600-1550 oC. The Sm2O3 component in powder B dissolved into the CeO2 powder at temperatures above 1500 oC. The sinterability of powder A was higher than powder B. The formation of SDC in powder B at 1500-1550 oC enhanced the sinterability. No cracks and no warps were observed in the small (10 mm diameter) and large (150 mm diameter) disks after sintering at 1300-1550 oC. The uniformity of microstructure was higher for the disk from powder A than from powder B.
Keywords: Sm-doped ceria solid solution, Sintering, Density, Lattice parameter, Microstructure