The transport kinetics of Mg in cubic 10mol%Y2O3-stabilized zirconia were studied. Diffusion-controlled concentration profiles of Mg were determined by using secondary ion mass spectrometry at 1073 to 1273K. The bulk results could be described by:

D (cm2/s) = 5.7 x 100 exp[-390(kJ/mol)/RT]

and the grain boundary diffusion data could be described by:

Dδs (cm3/s) = 3.2 x 10-15 exp[-121(kJ/mol)/RT]

The grain boundary enhancement factor decreased, with temperature, from 105 at 1073K to 103 at 1273K.

Grain Boundary Diffusion of Magnesium in Zirconia. T.Bak, J.Nowotny, K.Prince, M.Rekas, C.C.Sorrell: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2002, 85[9], 2244-50