Thermal Expansion of NaZr2(PO4)3 Family Ceramics in a Low-Temperature Range

NZP family ceramics – NaZr2(PO4)3 (NZP), KZr2(PO4)3, RbZr2(PO4)3, Cs Zr2(PO4)3, CaZr4(PO4)6, SrZr4(PO4)6 (SrZP), and BaZr4(PO4)6 – were synthesized by a solid-state reaction, and their thermal expansion properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction measurement in a temperature range of -150 to 250 °C. The increases in the average thermal expansion coefficients of all the NZP family ceramics in this low temperature range (-150 to 250 °C) were smaller than those in a high temperature range (room temperature to 1000 °C). The thermal expansion coefficient of the SrZP ceramic was 0.2×10-6/°C between -150 to 250 °C, which is very small. This proved that SrZP has a near-zero thermal expansion coefficient in a low-temperature range.