ABSTRACT
Spray drying of coprecipitated gels was used in the preparation of spherical micropowders of yttria fully stabilized zirconia. Changes in microstructure during spray drying and heat treatment were monitored using scanning electron microscopy and mercury porosimetry. The effect of removing water from the zirconia gel by organic liquid was studied. It has been found that the microstructure and strength of the spherical grains is strongly related to the preparation method of the starting material.
