Evolution of composition and fractal structure of hydrous zirconia xerogels during thermal annealing

Abstract

The mesostructure of amorphous hydrous zirconia xerogels and the products of their heat treatment was studied for the first time using powder X-ray diffraction and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The samples prepared at low and high pH values have fundamentally different phase compositions and structures. The high-temperature annealing of hy drous zirconia xerogels is useful for manufacturing materials with controlled surface fractal dimensions.