Structure characteristics of disordered zirconium hydroxoxides

The structural characteristics of low-temperature zirconium hydroxoxide and zirconium dioxide obtained from zirconyl nitrate and treated at 383 and 653 K have been studied by the X-ray method of distribution of radial electron density. It is shown that the low-temperature hydroxide contains a ∼10 to 15-Å nucleus of the crystalline phase with a structure of short-range order similar to the short-range order in ZrO 2 . An increase in treatment temperature of zirconium hydroxide results in the formation of a mixture of cubic and monoclinic zirconium dioxide with a particle size of ∼60 Å.