HIGH-TEMPERATURE SOLID-STATE SYNTHESIS OF Mg-DOPED ZrO2: STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION

15 at% Mg-doped ZrO2 ceramic material was synthesized by solid-state reaction at 1600 ºC. Particle size analysis of raw materials mixture depicts the formation of a narrow particle size distribution (PSD) with a mean particle size of about 56 nm. The structural analysis confirms that the as-synthesized Mg-doped ZrO2 product is of pure tetragonal phase (t-ZrO2) with a crystallite size of 55.76 nm. The UV–VIS diffuse reflectance spectrum (DRS) showed a maximum %R at 550 nm and the estimated optical bandgap was about 3.83 eV. The morphology of the sample examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows interconnected grains in the sintered ceramics. Moreover, EDX analyses confirm the presence of Mg, Zr, and O, with a homogenous distribution throughout the sample.