Nano-sized yttria powders were synthesized by solution combustion synthesis with glycine as a fuel. The powders were directly synthesized with a stoichiometric oxidant-to-fuel ratio in an air atmosphere without a calcination process and they were characterized by X-ray diffraction, a particle size distribution, SEM and TEM. The best powder properties were observed in the powders with a glycine-to-nitrate ratio of 1: 1.66. This product had a crystallite size of about 31 nm with a high surface area of 38 m(2)/g. The sintering behavior of the powders was also studied using a different process. Solution combustion synthesis was shown to be a practically viable process to prepare nano-sized and sinterable yttria-based ceramics.

Keywords: Yttria; Combustion; Fuel; Glycine; Nano