Fabrication of Y2O3 transparent ceramics by hot isostatic pressing from precipitated nanopowders.

Yttrium (Y 2 O 3) nanopowders were synthesized via the precipitation method using ammonium hydrogen carbonate (AHC) as the precipitant. The influences of calcination temperature on the composition and morphology of the powders were investigated. Fine Y 2 O 3 powders with low-agglomeration were obtained by calcining the precursor at 1100 °C for 4 h. The primary crystallites were calculated to be ∼47 nm in size and weakly agglomerated to particles with size of ∼79 nm. Using the synthesized powders as the starting materials, Y 2 O 3 ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering at different temperatures combined with HIP post-treatment. The densification and micro-structure evolution of the Y 2 O 3 ceramics were systematically investigated. The ceramic sample vacuum sintered at 1500 °C for 2 h and post-HIPed at 1550 °C for 3 h exhibited a uniform and fine microstructure with the average grain of about 1.0 μm. The in-line transmittance of the ceramic sample reached 80.1% at 1100 nm. • Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics were prepared by two-step sintering from the precipitated nano-powders. • Y 2 O 3 ceramics with the average grain size of 1.0 μm and in-line transmittance of 80.1% at 1100 nm were obtained. • The prepared Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics are attractive for host materials without any sintering additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]