The bulk electrical conductivity properties of delta-Bi2O3 solid electrolyte system doped with Yb2O3

In the present work, the binary system of (Bi2O3)(1-x)(Yb2O3)(x) was investigated. For the production and stabilization of the fcc-type solid solution, small amounts of Yb2O3 were doped into pure alpha-Bi2O3 by the solid-state reactions in the doping range of 0.10 a parts per thousand currency sign x a parts per thousand currency sign 0.2. According to XRD and electrical conductivity measurements, the crystal formula of the formed delta-Bi2O3 was found to be Bi(III)(4-2x)Yb(II)(2x)O(6-x)a-(2+x) (a-: oxygen ion vacancies, VO center dot center dot) and x values were in the range of 0.14 a parts per thousand currency sign x a parts per thousand currency sign 0.20 for heat treatment at 750 A degrees C. Four-probe d.c. electrical conductivity measurements showed that the studied system had an O2- ionic-type electrical conductivity behavior. The maximum levels of the electrical conductivity were observed for 16 mol delta-YSB material which had sigma (T) values: 0.316 and 0.632 Omega(-1) cm(-1) at 700 and 750 A degrees C, respectively. These materials can be used as ceramic electrolytes for solid electrolytic industrial applications.