According to the theory of phonon transport and thermal expansion, a new complex rare-earth zirconate ceramic (La0.4Sm0.5Yb0.1)2Zr2O7, with low thermal conductivity and high thermal expansion coefficient, has been designed by doping proper ions at A sites. The complex rare-earth zirconate (La0.4Sm0.5Yb0.1)2Zr2O7 powder for thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) was synthesized by coprecipitation-calcination method. The phase, microstructure and thermal properties of the new material were investigated. The results revealed that single phase (La0.4Sm0.5Yb0.1)2Zr2O7 with pyrochlore structure was synthesized. The thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion coefficient of the designed complex rare-earth zirconate ceramic is about 1.3W/m•K and 10.5×10-6/K, respectively. These results imply that (La0.4Sm0.5Yb0.1)2Zr2O7 can be explored as the candidate material for the ceramic layer in TBCs system.
Thermal properties of rare earth cobalt oxides and of La1–x Gd x CoO3 solid solutions