Influence of Gd2O3 on the microstructure and properties of transparent MgAl2O4: Cr3+ ceramic

In this work, MgAl₂O₄: Cr³⁺ transparent ceramics have been synthesized by the hot press sintering techniques, and the effect of the sintering aid Gd₂O₃ and its content on the densification, microstructure, and optical, photoluminescence was studied and discussed. The relative density reached 99.29% with 0.8 wt% Gd₂O₃ as a sintering aid, and the optical transmittance at 686 nm and 1446 nm were approximately 76%. As Gd₂O₃ content continued to increase, the grain size of the ceramics became smaller and uniform, accompanied by some pores with the size of ～1 μm. The ceramics with 4.0 wt% Gd₂O₃ showed a higher transmittance, of 82% at 1446 nm. Additionally, Gd₂O₃ was helpful for Cr³⁺ in the sites of octahedral symmetry, which increased the quantum yield. The quantum yield of MgAl₂O₄: Cr³⁺ with 0.8 wt% Gd₂O₃ was about 0.175, which was 36% higher than that of ceramic without Gd₂O₃. In short, the sintering aid Gd₂O₃ not only contributed to improving the densification, homogenizing the grain size, and heightening the optical transmittance but also enhanced the quantum yield of Cr³⁺.     

Phase transition and interface evolution of Al2O3/ZrO2 particles in plasma-sprayed coatings

Alumina and zirconia ceramic particles exhibit high hardness and excellent wear resistance at high temperature, and hence are used as ceramic reinforcement phases in some plasma sprayed coatings. In this study, the interface evolution of a zirconia/alumina eutectic ceramic and the phase transition of zirconia in a plasma-sprayed coating were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy combined with focused-ion beam and energy dispersive X-ray were used to analyze the microstructure and composition of the ceramic interface. The results showed that the eutectic ceramic particles consisted of alumina (outer) and columnar zirconia (inner) before and after the plasma spraying process. The inner zirconia part showed the martensitic transformation of t-type zirconia to stripe-like m-type zirconia. After the plasma spraying, the interface between alumina and zirconia changed significantly, which formed a new oxide layer. The phase transition mechanism in the ceramic particle and oxide layer formation mechanism at the alumina/zirconia interface were investigated.     

Fabrication and properties of Y2O3 transparent ceramic by sintering aid combinations

Transparent Y₂O₃ ceramics were fabricated by the solid-state reaction and vacuum sintering method using La₂O₃, ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃ as sintering aids. The microstructure of the Y₂O₃ ceramics sintered from 1550 °C to 1800 °C for 8 h were analyzed by SEM. The sintering process of the Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics was optimized. The results showed that when the samples were sintered at 1800 °C for 8 h under vacuum, the average grain sizes of the ceramics were about 3.5 µm. Furthermore, the transmittance of Y₂O₃ ceramic sintered at 1800 °C for 8 h was 82.1% at the wavelength around the 1100 nm (1 mm thickness), which was close to its theoretical value. Moreover, the refractive index of the Y₂O₃ transparent ceramic in the temperature range from 30 °C to 400 °C were measured by the spectroscopic ellipsometry method.     

Effects of ZrO2-La2O3 co-addition on the microstructural and optical properties of transparent Y2O3 ceramics

Commercial Y₂O₃ powder was used to fabricate Y₂O₃ ceramics sintered at 1600 °C and 1800 °C with concurrent addition of ZrO₂ and La₂O₃ as sintering aids. One group with different contents of La₂O₃ (0–10 mol%) with a fixed amount of 1 mol% ZrO₂ and another group with various contents of ZrO₂ (0–7 mol%) with a fixed amount of 10 mol% La₂O₃ were compared to investigate the effects of co-doping on the microstructural and optical properties of Y₂O₃ ceramics. At low sintering temperature of 1600 °C, the sample single doped with 10 mol% La₂O₃ exhibits much denser microstructure with a few small intragranular pores while the samples with ZrO₂ and La₂O₃ co-doping features a lot of large intergranular pores leading to lower density. When the sintering temperature increases to 1800 °C, samples using composite sintering aids exhibit finer microstructures and better optical properties than those of both ZrO₂ and La₂O₃ single-doped samples. It was proved that the grain growth suppression caused by ZrO₂ overwhelms the acceleration by La₂O₃. Meanwhile, 1 mol% ZrO₂ acts as a very important inflection point with regard to the influence of additive concentration on the transmittance, pore structure and grain size. The highest in-line transmittance of Y₂O₃ ceramic (1.2 mm in thickness) with 3 mol% of ZrO₂ and 10 mol% of La₂O₃ sintered at 1800 °C for 16 h is 81.9% at a wavelength of 1100 nm, with an average grain size of 11.2 µm.     

Fabrication and characterization of highly transparent ZrO2-doped Tm2O3 ceramics

Highly transparent polycrystalline Tm₂O₃ ceramics were successfully fabricated by vacuum sintering at temperatures from 1650 to 1850 °C for 8 h using commercial Tm₂O₃ and ZrO₂ (1 at%) powders as starting materials. It is the first time that ZrO₂ was reported as a sintering additive to prepare Tm₂O₃ transparent ceramics. The effects of sintering temperature on the optical transmittance and microstructure of Tm₂O₃ transparent ceramics were studied. The desired Tm₂O₃ ceramics with relative density of 99.8% and an average grain size of approximately 9.7 μm were obtained at 1800 °C and the in-line transmittance reached 75% at 880 nm and fluctuated around 80% from 2100 to 2400 nm, respectively. This study demonstrated that Tm₂O₃ transparent ceramics with higher in-line transmittance and smaller grain size could be prepared by using ZrO₂ as sintering additive at a relatively lower vacuum sintering temperature compared to those already reported in open literatures.     

Phase stability and thermophysical properties of CeO2-Re2O3 (ReEu,Gd, Dy,Y, Er,Yb) co-stabilised zirconia

A series of 16 mol% CeO₂-2 mol% Re₂O₃ co-stabilised zirconia (ZrO₂) (16Ce4ReSZ, ReEu, Gd, Dy, Y, Er, Yb) ceramic materials were synthesised using a chemical coprecipitation– high-temperature roasting method. Their phase structure, high-temperature phase stability, mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were investigated. The results show that the ZrO₂ tetragonal phase co-stabilised by CeO₂ and Re³⁺ with a smaller radius has better stability. The 16Ce4ReSZ (ReDy, Y, Er, Yb) materials have high fracture toughnesses, low thermal conductivities, and high CTE values. As the radius of the Re³⁺ ions decreases, the lattice energy increased, while the lattice distortion decreases, the CTE decreases slightly and the thermal conductivity of the material increases slightly. Owing to the high phase stability of 16Ce4YbSZ, its mechanical properties are best after 100 h of sintering at 1400 °C.     

Effect of TiO2 and Ta2O5 co-doping on phase stability,fracture toughness,and sintering behavior of ZrO2 stabilized by 10mol%(Y0.4Gd0.3Yb0.3)2O3

The effect of TiO₂ and Ta₂O₅ co-doping on the phase structure, fracture toughness, and sintering behavior of 10mol%(Y_0.4Gd_0.3Yb_0.3)₂O₃-stabilized zirconia was investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, microindentation, and pressureless sintering. The results showed that 10mol%(Y_0.4Gd_0.3Yb_0.3)₂O₃–ZrO₂ had a single cubic phase structure, and an increase in the Ta₂O₅ (≥6 mol%) and TiO₂ doping concentrations resulted in a simultaneous increase in the content and stability of the tetragonal phase. The fracture toughness of TiO₂ and Ta₂O₅ co-doping 10mol%(Y_0.4Gd_0.3Yb_0.3)₂O₃–ZrO₂ decreased with an increase in the Ta₂O₅ content. On the other hand, the TiO₂ content had no significant effect on the fracture toughness of 10mol%(Y_0.4Gd_0.3Yb_0.3)₂O₃–ZrO₂. The sintering resistance of the specimens increased with an increasing in the Ta₂O₅ content; however, an increase in the TiO₂ content accelerated the densification of the specimens. When the Ta₂O₅ content was 10 mol% and the TiO₂ content was in the range of 4–8 mol%, a single non-transformable tetragonal phase structure with fracture toughness similar to that of 6–8 wt% Y₂O₃ stabilized ZrO₂ and excellent anti-sintering properties could be obtained. This structure can be explored as a thermal barrier coating material for high-temperature applications.     

High-strength ceramic materials based on polycrystalline tetragonal ZrO2 stabilized by Lu2O3

The effect of Lu₂O₃ on low-temperature stabilization of the tetragonal modification of ZrO₂ is considered. The subject of study is ZrO₂ - Lu₂O₃ binary systems with 1 –9 mole % Lu₂O₃ for specimens of ZrO₂ powders prepared by the method invented by the authors. It is established that low-temperature stabilization oft- ZrO₂ occurs in the region of 6 –8 mole % concentration of Lu₂O₃. The obtained ceramic material has a density of 99.8% of the theoretical value, an ultimate bending strength of at least 800 MPa, and a crack resistance of at least 13 MPa · m^1/2 at a content of Lu₂O₃ equal to 6 –8 mole %     

Processing and characteristics of transparent Gd3TaO7 polycrystalline ceramics

Transparent polycrystalline Gd₃TaO₇ ceramics were successfully developed. A sol‐gel process was used to synthesize Gd₃TaO₇ powder with a uniform composition and an estimated average particle size of 100 nm. Simultaneous thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) was used to identify the decomposition sequence as a function of temperature for the as‐synthesized sol‐gel powders. Crystallization was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and a single phase was achieved by calcining at 1000°C. The calcined powders were hot‐pressed at 1400°C to achieve >96% theoretical density with closed pore structure followed by a hot isostatic pressing at 1400°C at 207 MPa to achieve a fully dense structure. Microstructural characterization shows a uniform grain size distribution with an average grain size of about 7 μm. In‐line transmission measurements revealed high transparency in the red and infrared. Thermal conductivity was measured to be >1.6 W/mK at room temperature, decreasing to ~1.3 W/mK by 500°C. Dielectric properties remain stable with relative permittivity values just above 200 and loss tangents <0.005 up to 350°C.     

Fabrication and characterization of highly transparent Er:Y2O3 ceramics with ZrO2 and La2O3 additives

In this study, we report highly transparent Er:Y₂O₃ ceramics (0–10 at% Er) fabricated by a vacuum sintering method using compound sintering additives of ZrO₂ and La₂O₃. The transmittance, microstructure, thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the Er:Y₂O₃ ceramics were evaluated. The in-line transmittance of all of the Er:Y₂O₃ ceramics (1.2 mm thick) exceeds 83% at 1100 nm and 81% at 600 nm. With an increase in the Er doping concentration from 0 to 10 at%, the average grain size, microhardness and fracture toughness remain nearly unchanged, while the thermal conductivity decreases slightly from 5.55 to 4.89 W/m K. A nearly homogeneous doping level of the laser activator Er up to 10 at% in macro-and nanoscale was measured along the radial direction from the center to the edge of a disk specimen, which is the prominent advantage of polycrystalline over single-crystal materials. Based on the finding of excellent optical and mechanical properties, the compound sintering additives of ZrO₂ and La₂O₃ are demonstrated to be effective for the fabrication of transparent Y₂O₃ ceramics. These results may provide a guideline for the application of transparent Er:Y₂O₃ laser ceramics.     

Preparation of transparent Y2O3 ceramic via gel casting: Realization of high solid volume via surface modification

In this article, isocyanate was adopted to modify Y₂O₃ powder for the purpose of preparing transparent Y₂O₃ ceramics via gel casting. The modification could enhance the hydration resistance of Y₂O₃ powder through the steric hindrance effect. The coating mechanism can be proved by the infrared spectrum of the surface-modified Y₂O₃ powder. Modification could not only prevent Y₂O₃ particles from reacting with water, but also prevents agglomeration between particles. The viscosity of the slurry with a solid content of 52.7 vol% is only 0.48 Pa·s at the shear rate of 100 s⁻¹, which is suitable for preparing high-density compacts by gel casting. The transmittance of the sample (1840°C × 8 h, 1 mm thickness) at 1100 nm reaches 75%. The microstructure of the sintered body is dense with the average grain size of 6.5 μm without obvious impurities nor pores. Five mol% ZrO₂-doped Y₂O₃ transparent ceramic fairing with the diameter of 5 cm without defects was successfully fabricated by gel casting (52.7 vol% solid volume) and vacuum sintering (1840°C × 8 h).     

Structural characteristics and optical properties of lead-free Bi(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3-BaTiO3 ceramics

The xBi(Zn_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃-BaTiO₃ (xBZT-BT) ceramics, where x (mol) =0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12, have been prepared by a solid-state reaction method. The phase transition, microstructure and optical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the as-prepared samples have a polycrystalline perovskite structure. For x<0.06, the xBZT-BT ceramics exhibit clear tetragonal symmetry, and transform to rhombohedral phase as 0.06< x≤0.12. Coexistence of both tetragonal phase and rhombohedral phase is observed for x=0.06. The lattice strain is estimated by the Williamson-Hall analysis model, which suggests that the incorporation of substitution ions into the host lattice produces the inner stress field gives rise to structure distortions. The Raman scattering spectra corroborate the decrease in tetragonality with increasing the x, where the characteristic variation of phonon modes indirectly reveal the incorporation of Bi(Zn_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃. Furthermore, the optical band gaps of xBZT-BT ceramics show a non-linear change, which can be explained by the crystal field theory and phase structure effect.     

Microstructure and phase transformation behavior of Al2O3–ZrO2 under microwave sintering

Zirconia is an inorganic, nonmetallic material with excellent properties. However, the brittleness of the zirconia, resulting from the thermal performance during the heating and cooling process, seriously limits the application of zirconia in the metallurgical, military, and aerospace industries. Al₂O₃ doped ZrO₂ was developed to improve the potential material's toughness. This paper studied the evolution of the surface functional groups, phase composition, toughening mechanism, and particle morphology of Al₂O₃ doped ZrO₂ during the heating process. Especially microwave heating was selected as the heating method during the experiments to save energy consumption. The results showed that the phase transition temperature was reduced by the microwave sintering technique, which also promoted the transformation between the m-ZrO₂ and t-ZrO₂, advancing the crystallinity and structural properties of the samples. The specific surface area shows a positive relationship with the microwave heating temperature, while the particle size of the powder decreased with the temperature increase. The optimized sintering effect appears at 1000 °C in the studied roasting temperature range (800 °C–1200 °C) for Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ powders. With the optimized sintering temperature, the void of the granular zirconia material was controlled, and the best micromorphology was obtained. In practical production, the application of microwave sintering and alumina doping is beneficial to saving costs and protecting the environment.     

ZrO2-doped Y2O3 transparent ceramics via slip casting and vacuum sintering

Commercial Y₂O₃ powder was used to fabricate highly transparent Y₂O₃ ceramics with the addition of ZrO₂ via slip casting and vacuum sintering. The effects of ZrO₂ addition on the transparency, grain size and lattice parameter of Y₂O₃ ceramics were studied. With addition of ZrO₂ the transparency of Y₂O₃ ceramics increased markedly and the grain size of Y₂O₃ ceramics decreased markedly by cation diffusivity mechanism and the lattice parameter of Y₂O₃ ceramics slightly decreased. The highest transmittance (at wavelength 1100 nm) of the 5.0 mol% ZrO₂–Y₂O₃ ceramic (1.0 mm thick) sintered at 1860 °C for 8 h reached 81.7%, very close to the theoretical value of Y₂O₃.     

Phase composition,microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of rock salt structured Li2ZrO3-MgO ceramics

A novel series of rock salt structured (1-x)Li₂ZrO₃-xMgO ceramics were prepared via the conventional solid state method. The tetragonal-cubic phase transition can be observed in the case of 0.5?≤?x?≤?0.6, which has been testified by the results of XRD and SEM-EDS. Relatively dense and homogeneous microstructure can be obtained for all the compositions sintered at 1500?°C. With the x value increasing from 0.5 to 0.8, the relative permittivity linearly decreases from 16.50 to 12.65, and the τ_f value decreases from ～?10?ppm/°C to ～?35?ppm/°C. The addition of MgO stabilizes the crystal structure and increases the bond energies in Li₂ZrO₃-MgO system, so there is an upward tendency in Q·f values from ～77,000?GHz to ～166,000?GHz. Typically, the Li₂Mg₄ZrO₇ ceramics sintered at 1500?°C possesses excellent properties with ε_r?=?12.65, Q·f?=?165,924?GHz and τ_f=-34.66?ppm/°C, which makes these materials good candidates for microwave devices.     

Effect of Y2O3 on the structural,optical and radiation shielding properties of transparent Na-rich borate glass with diluted and fixed Fe2O3

We study the impact of yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) on the optical properties of iron-doped borate glasses. A series of borate glasses, with a diluted and constant amount of Fe₂O₃, doped with various amounts of Y₂O₃ (labeled as BNaFeY-glasses) was prepared and studied. The impact of Y₂O₃ doping on the optical transitions of BNaFeY-glasses was studied by analyzing the optical absorption spectra. The presence of Fe cations, with their Fe³⁺ state, leads to the appearance of absorption in the ultraviolet region. Furthermore, the optical transmittance spectra proved the transparency of all BNaFeY-glasses. Moreover, the transmittance of the sample with the highest Y₂O₃ content is about 93 % within the visible range. Because of the diluted Fe content within BNaFeY-glasses, the five absorption bands of Fe are not observed. So, these bands are detected by magnifying the spectra within the visible region. These bands are labeled ?₁, ?₂, ?₃, ?₄ and ?₅ at wavelengths 454.5, 518.4, 652.5, 707 and 808 nm respectively. These bands were used to calculate the crystal field splitting (10Dq) for all BNaFeY-glasses. The outstanding 10Dq increment with further Y₂O₃ doping was explained in terms of more interactions between Fe cations and their surroundings. On the other side, the shielding parameters were considered to examine the competence of these transparent glasses against nuclear radiation. We found that the sample doped with the highest amount of Y₂O₃ has the highest linear attenuation coefficient and the lowest half-value layer (HVL). From the HVL results, we need a thickness of 3.646 cm from the sample with 5 mol% of Y₂O₃ to get protection from 50% of the photons with energy of 0.662 MeV, and this thickness is increased to 5.137 cm when the energy is 1.333 MeV.     

Yb2O3—ZrO2系超细粉的制备

本文采用溶胶—凝胶法,以ZrOCl_2·8H_2O和Yb_2O_3作为起始原料,按事先确定的组成配成水溶液,与氨水溶液进行反应制得ZrO_2·XH_2O和Yb（OH）_3混合胶体。然后对湿凝胶用蒸馏水反复漂洗,经无水乙醇脱水处理、烘干,在700℃煅烧1小时,获得颗粒尺寸为0.02μm的Yb_2O_3—ZrO_2超细粉。所得粉末不仅颗粒尺寸小、分布狭窄,而且不含硬团聚体,为制备高强度、高韧性Yb—TZP材料提供了有利条件。     

Effect of point defects on the thermal conductivity of Sc2O3-Y2O3 co-stabilized tetragonal ZrO2 ceramic materials

In this paper, the reduction mechanism in thermal conductivity of a series of Sc₂O₃-Y₂O₃ co-stabilized tetragonal ZrO₂ ceramics is systematically discussed. The thermal conductivity is approximately 20–28% lower than that of 6–8 wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). A phonon scattering model, on account of the influence of oxygen vacancy variation and cation mass fluctuation, is optimized and utilized to depict the thermal conductivity of these materials. For the samples with the same amount of oxygen vacancy, Sc³⁺ is more effective in lowering thermal conductivity than Y³⁺ due to the large mass difference with Zr⁴⁺, as evidenced by the scattering model and phonon vibrational density of states. The experimental and calculation results suggest that this optimized model is proved to be more effective in predicting the thermal conductivity of binary or multiple rare earth oxides co-doped tetragonal ZrO₂ and guiding the compositional design of thermal barrier materials.     

Microstructure of the directionally solidified ternary eutectic ceramic Al2O3/MgAl2O4/ZrO2

The directionally solidified Al₂O₃/MgAl₂O₄/ZrO₂ ternary eutectic ceramic was prepared via induction heating zone melting. Smooth Al₂O₃/MgAl₂O₄/ZrO₂ eutectic ceramic rods with diameters of 10 mm were successfully obtained. The results demonstrate that the eutectic rods consist of Al₂O₃, MgAl₂O₄ and ZrO₂ phases. In the eutectic microstructure, the MgAl₂O₄ and Al₂O₃ phases form the matrix, the ZrO₂ phase with a fibre or shuttle shape is embedded in the matrix, and a quasi-regular eutectic microstructure formed, presenting a typical in situ composite pattern. During the eutectic growth, the ZrO₂ phase grew on non-faceted phases ahead of the matrix growing on the faceted phase. The hardness and fracture toughness of the eutectic ceramics reached 12 GPa and 6.1 MPa·m ^1/2, respectively, i.e., two times and 1.7 times the values of the pre-sintered ceramic, respectively. In addition, the ZrO₂ phase in the matrix reinforced the matrix, acting as crystal whiskers to reinforce the sintered ceramic.     

Phase equilibria in the La2O3-Sm2O3-ZrO2 system: Experimental studies and thermodynamic modeling

A series of ceramic samples were prepared to experimentally investigate sub-solidus phase relations in the La₂O₃-Sm₂O₃-ZrO₂ system at 1873 K and 1673 K. No ternary compounds have been observed, while the binary La₂Zr₂O₇ and Sm₂Zr₂O₇ pyrochlore phases form a continuous solid solution La_2?xSm_xZr₂O₇ in the ternary system at the selected temperatures. X-ray diffraction and microstructure results demonstrated that the pyrochlore phase is stable in the ZrO₂-rich corner. The homogeneity range of the pyrochlore phase was carefully determined and the phase boundary of the cubic ZrO₂ (fluorite phase) which extends into the ternary system was also constructed via electron probe microanalysis. The as-obtained data were adopted to determine the mixing parameters for the pyrochlore and fluorite phases in the present thermodynamic modeling. A self-consistent database of the La₂O₃-Sm₂O₃-ZrO₂ system was accordingly established for the first time and the calculations agree well with the experimental data in the current work.