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Fabrication of Transparent, Sintered Sc 2 O 3 Ceramics
Author(s) -
Li JiGuang,
Ikegami Takayasu,
Mori Toshiyuki
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2005.00162.x
Subject(s) - materials science , sintering , transparent ceramics , thermogravimetry , ceramic , calcination , microstructure , thermal decomposition , scanning electron microscope , analytical chemistry (journal) , differential thermal analysis , fabrication , mineralogy , chemical engineering , metallurgy , composite material , optics , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , organic chemistry , chromatography , diffraction , engineering , catalysis , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
We report here the fabrication of transparent Sc 2 O 3 ceramics via vacuum sintering. The starting Sc 2 O 3 powders are pyrolyzed from a basic sulfate precursor (Sc(OH) 2.6 (SO 4 ) 0.2 ·H 2 O) precipitated from scandium sulfate solution with hexamethylenetetramine as the precipitant. Thermal decomposition behavior of the precursor is studied via differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometry, and elemental analysis. Sinterability of the Sc 2 O 3 powders is studied via dilatometry. Microstructure evolution of the ceramic during sintering is investigated via field emission scanning electron microscopy. The best calcination temperature for the precursor is 1100°C, at which the resultant Sc 2 O 3 powder is ultrafine (∼85 nm), well dispersed, and almost free from residual sulfur contamination. With this reactive powder, transparent Sc 2 O 3 ceramics having an average grain size of ∼9 μm and showing a visible wavelength transmittance of ∼60–62% (∼76% of that of Sc 2 O 3 single crystal) have been fabricated via vacuum sintering at a relatively low temperature of 1700°C for 4 h.