A transmission electron microscopy diffraction and simulation method for early-stage studies of the evolution of gel-derived zirconia precursors

A technique, utilizing transmission electron microscopy, is described that enables the modeling and diffraction simulation of structural development during the processing of gel-derived products. This technique relies on the determination of the position and relative intensity of diffuse electron diffraction rings from small domains. X-ray diffraction cannot provide a basis for this analysis. A qualitative micro crystal modeling of the structural changes accompanying the in situ transformation of a zirconia-precursor gel to crystalline ZrO2 is described. A quantitative analysis is possible only after correction for the inelastic diffraction effect and a calibration of the nonlinear response of the photographic film