Electrical conduction of yttrium-doped strontium zirconate

Solid solutions of SrZr1-xYxO3–0.5x having orthorhombic perovskite-type structure with 0x0.2 have been studied. The conductivity increased and the activation energy decreased with yttrium content up to x = 0.2 at low temperature or x = 0.05 at high temperature. The proton and oxygen transference numbers measured in H2O and oxygen concentration cells, respectively, indicated that this material is a good oxygen ion conductor from 400 to 600 °C. At lower temperatures the material was predominantly proton conducting and at high temperatures, the hole conductivity increased until it predominated above 800 °C. The substitution of Y3+ for Zr4+ had no significant effect on the transference numbers.