%0 Journal Article
%T SnO<sub>2</sub> Dense Ceramic Microwave Sintered with Low Resistivity
%A Leinig Antonio Perazolli
%A Gisane Gasparotto
%A Natalia Jaomaci
%A Miguel Ruiz
%A Maria Aparecida Zaghete Bertochi
%A Cesar Renato Foschini
%A Ederson Carlos Aguiar
%A Jos¨¦ Arara Varela
%J Materials Sciences and Applications
%P 272-280
%@ 2153-1188
%D 2012
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/msa.2012.35040
%X The Hall-H¨¦roult process is used for alumina reduction by the use of graphite anodes even though it involves a high emission of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and several other organic compounds. Proposals have been made aiming at substituting graphite for a single-phase SnO<sub>2</sub>-based ceramic with low resistivity and chemical resistance to cryolite, which is characterized as an inconsumable anode, reducing pollutant emissions. To this end, a wide range of studies were carried out on SnO<sub>2</sub>-based ceramics modified with ZnO as a densification aid doped with the promoters of electrical conductivity such as Nb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>, Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> through a mixture of oxides and hybrid sintering in a microwave oven. The pressed pellets were sintered in a microwave oven up to 1050¡æ under a constant heating rate of 10¡æ/min. After sintering, the density was determined by the Archimedes method, the phases were then characterized by X-ray diffraction, the microstructure and chemical composition resulting from the sintered SnO<sub>2</sub>-based ceramics were also investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and the electrical properties were determined by the measurements of the electric field x current density. A single-phase ceramic was obtained with a relative density of above 90% and electrical resistivity of 6.1 ¦¸¡¤cm at room temperature. The ceramics obtained in this study could be a potential candidate as an inconsumable anode to replace the current fused coke used in the reduction of alumina.
%K Tin Oxide
%K Anodic Electrode
%K Inconsumable Anode
%K Microwave Sintering
%K Electrical Resistivity
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=19190