Binary oxide solid products and glasses in the ZrO2-GeO2 system with the Ge:Zr molar ratio ranged from 1:1 to 3:1 were synthesized from inorganic precursors in aqueous medium by ammonia stimulated hydrolysis and coprecipitation. The latter were formed due to reaction of Zr(IV)+Ge(IV) solution with precipitating agent. The precipitated xerogels covered a color spectrum from white to red, and the color was more intense with increase of GeO2 content in the binary ZrO2-GeO2 composition. DTA, XRD, IR, and XPS were used for examination of crystalline structure and phase transformations in the coprecipitated amorphous xerogels and thermally treated ZrO2-GeO2 products. In samples with excess of germania in the binary ZrO2-GeO2 system both tetrahedral and octahedral coordination of Ge occur, resulting in different crystallization behaviors. In line with the stable ZrGe04 phase with scheelite structure we have established an appearance of new crystalline phase (called X-phase) for thermally treated (1000°C) samples with Ge:Zr = 2:1 and 3:1 rather than the hexagonal GeO2 phase.
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