Synthesis of Nano-sized Yttria via a Sol-Gel Process Based on Hydrated Yttrium Nitrate and Ethylene Glycol and Its Catalytic Performance for Thermal Decomposition of NH4ClO4

Nano-sized yttria particles were synthesized via a non-aqueous sol-gel process based on hydrated yttrium nitrate and ethylene glycol. The effects of the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to yttrium ion and calcination temperature on crystallite size of the products were studied. The catalytic performance of the as-prepared yttria for the ammonium perchlorate (AP) decomposition was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicate that the nano-sized cubic yttria particles with less than 20 nm in average crystallite size can be obtained after 2 h reflux at 70 °C, dried at 90 °C, forming xerogel, and followed by annealing of xerogel for 2 h, and that the addition of the nano-sized yttria to AP incorporates two small exothermic peaks of AP in the temperature ranges of 310 ∼ 350 °C and 400 ∼ 470 °C into a strong exothermic peak of AP and increases the apparent decomposition heat from 515 to over 1110 J·g−1. It is also clear that the temperature of AP decomposition exothermic peak decreases and the apparent decomposition heat of AP increases with the increase of the amount of nano-sized yttria. The fact that the addition of the 5% nano-sized yttria to AP decreases the temperature of AP exothermic peak to 337.7 °C by reduction of 114.6 °C and increases the apparent decomposition heat from 515 to 1240 J·g−1, reveals that nano-sized yttria shows strong catalytic property for AP thermal decomposition.