AbstractThe pyrochlore solid solution Gd2(Zrx Til−x)2O7, was found to be an attractive system for investigating the relationship between composition, structural disorder and ionic conductivity. Both cation and anion order parameters were found to decrease systematically with increasing substitution of Zr for Ti leading ultimately to intrinsic fast oxygen ion conductivity in the solid solution. The degree of intrinsic disorder was determined quantitatively from doping experiments and was found to be equal to l.0×lO39 exp(-O.24±0.03eV/kT)cm−6sfor x = 0.3 and substantially larger for higher values of x. Oxygen vacancy mobilities, on the other hand, were found to be relatively independent of x with values of μv, = 0.15exp(-0.78 ± 0.02 eV/kT)cm2V−1s−1. These, and more recent results, on Y2 (ZrxTil−x)2O7, are discussed in the context of the similarities between the pyrochlore and fluorite phases.
