The 96Zr tracer diffusivity was measured in Y2O3-stabilized monocrystalline samples, at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1500C, by using secondary ion mass spectrometry. It was found that the activation energy for diffusion ranged from 4.4 to 5.0eV, and did not exhibit an appreciable dependence upon Y2O3 contents of between 8 and 32mol%. At a given temperature, the diffusivity decreased with the Y2O3 content. This was explained in terms of migration via vacancies in the cation sub-lattice; although a different mechanism was suspected to operate at lower temperatures.

M.Kilo, G.Borchardt, S.Weber, S.Scherrer, K.Tinschert: Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für Physikalische Chemie, 1997, 101[9], 1361-5