Mixed CaO-Y2O3-stabilized electrolytes were prepared by using various processing methods, and the microstructural dependence of the electrical conductivity of the samples was analyzed. It was found that, in the case of normally sintered samples, the conductivity increased with increasing relative density. When compared with normally sintered samples, microwave-sintered samples exhibited a much smaller grain structure. This resulted in a larger grain-boundary effect on, and a slight decrease in, the conductivity.

Microstructural Dependence of Electrical Conductivity of ZrO2-Y2O3-CaO Solid Electrolyte. Y.Li, J.Gong, Y.Xie, Z.Tang, Z.Zhang: Materials Science and Engineering B, 2000, 78[2-3], 140-4