Barium Zirconate

Barium zirconate is a ceramic material with the chemical formula BaZrO3. It is a perovskite-type oxide and belongs to the group of complex oxides, which have important applications in energy conversion and storage technologies.

Barium zirconate has a high melting point of approximately 2340°C and a relatively low thermal expansion coefficient, making it suitable for use in high-temperature applications such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). The material has excellent electrical conductivity at high temperatures, which is critical for SOFCs, and can also act as a proton conductor.

The crystal structure of barium zirconate is cubic perovskite, with the cationic framework consisting of corner-sharing BO6 octahedra. In this structure, barium ions occupy the center of the unit cell, while zirconium and oxygen ions form a network of corner-linked octahedra around the barium ion.

Barium zirconate is typically prepared by solid-state reactions of the constituent oxides or by sol-gel methods. It is often doped with other elements such as yttrium or cerium to improve its properties and stability.

In summary, barium zirconate is an important ceramic material with unique properties that make it suitable for high-temperature applications such as SOFCs and TBCs. Its crystal structure and synthesis methods have been well studied, and it has potential for further development through doping and other modifications.