| Electrospinning was employed to produce homogeneous inorganic.organic composite fibers from alcoholic solutions containing polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and precursor of yttrium and cerium ions. Upon heat treatment, ceria and yttria-doped ceria fibers were obtained. The fibers retained the original morphology observed in the as-spun composition. X-ray diffraction was used to identify the crystalline phases of the final products. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and BET analysis were employed to study the ceramic-phase formation and the morphological evolution of the fibers. Thus, several micrometers long, uniform ceria and yttria-doped ceria fibers of high-phase purity were produced. The CeO2 and the CeO2 with Y2O3 fibers presented average diameter that ranged from 19 to 25 µm, and the distribution of specific surface ranged from 33 to 43 m2/g. |
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