Sintering of ZrO2 in HCl Atmospheres

Pure zirconia fired in HCl shows greatly reduced shrinkage compared to the same material fired in air. One of the main microstructural differences is the much more rapid grain growth in the porous zirconia fired in HCl. The observed grain growth does not follow any simple growth law over the temperature range investigated. The grains grow up to a limiting particle size close to the initial agglomerate size and appear to stop.