The effect of surfactant on the sol–gel synthesis of alumina-zirconia nanopowders

Alumina with 20 wt% zirconia (stabilized with 3 mol% Y2O3) nanopowders were synthesized using sol-gel route by hydrolysis and condensation reactions of organic-inorganic precursors in the presence of different surfactants such as pluronic P123, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and poly ethylene glycol (PEG). Thermal behavior of the synthesized powders was examined with thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques. Powders subsequently calcined and their phase identifications were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of calcined powders prepared by CTAB revealed nanosize spherical particles of less than 2 nm and they were smaller in size, with higher surface area (236 m2/g) and narrow size distribution than those of particles prepared by P123 and PEG surfactants.