Synthesis of (Pr,Zr)SiO4 Ceramic Pigment: Role of Mineralizers and Reaction Mechanism Determination

The formation mechanism of praseodymium-doped zircon, a market leader ceramic pigment in the high temperature color range, has been mainly studied by Rietveld-R.I.R. analysis of the X-ray diffraction data, SEM analysis and color measurements. The obtained results put in evidence the reaction between SiO2, praseodymium oxide (Pr2O3) and mineralizers which produces a viscous and successively, as the temperature is increased, a volatile phase that reacts with ZrO2 at the ZrO2 sites, confirming the hypothesis made by the authors in a previous work.