Nanocrystalline zirconia powder has been successfully prepared using a precursor calcination process involving hydrolysis of zirconium(IV) isopropoxide and utilizing Oryza Sativa pulp (Merang Pulp) as the cheapest natural template. The potential of Oryza Sativa pulp as a template in the preparation of nanocrystalline zirconia is investigated in this research. It is also shown that the presence of the pulp can produce zirconia in nanocrystallites because the agglomeration tendency has been reduced in the as-synthesized ZrO2 particles. The effect of the calcination temperature on this zirconia preparation is found out by variation of the applied calcination temperature. XRD characterization shows monoclinic zirconia as a fully dominant phase, and the largest ZrO2 crystallite is found to be 42.7 nm. However, the zirconia crystallite size will increase with an elevation of the calcination temperature.

Keywords: Nanocrystalline, powder, zirconia, precursor calcining process, Oryza Sativa pulp.