The effect of temperature on nano-CeO2 particle coarsening is investigated. The nanoceria powders were synthesized using the microemulsion method and then exposed to temperatures in the range of 373–1273 K. It was found that the nanoparticles exhibited a strong tendency to form agglomerates and through the application of ultrasound these agglomerates could be broken into smaller sizes. In addition average nanoparticle sizes were determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The outcome of this work indicates that the initial nano-CeO2 powders are amorphous in nature. Annealing promotes CeO2 crystallization and a slight shift in the (111) XRD intensity peaks corresponding to CeO2. Moreover, at temperatures below 773 K, grain growth in nano-CeO2 particles is rather slow. Apparently, mass transport through diffusional processes is not likely to occur as indicated by an estimated activation energy of 20 kJ/mol. At temperatures above 873 K, the measured activation energy shifted to 105 kJ/mol suggesting a possible transition to Ostwald-Ripening type mass transport mechanisms.
Temperature Effects on the Crystallization and Coarsening of Nano-CeO2 Powders
