Eu:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics fabricated by vacuum sintering of co-precipitated nanopowders

Abstract Europium doped lutetium oxide (Eu:Lu2O3) nanopowders were synthesized by a co-precipitation method using hydrogen carbonate (AHC) as a precipitant. Influence of the terminal pH value on properties of the Eu:Lu2O3 precursors and calcined powders was investigated. It is found that the terminal pH value has little influence on compositions of the precursors, and all the powders calcined at 1100 °C show good crystallinity. However, the terminal pH value has significant influence on morphology and agglomeration degree of both the precursors and the calcined powders. The powders are found to have the optimal dispersity with the average particle size of 68 nm when the terminal pH is 6.57. Using the nanopowders as starting materials, Eu:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering at 1700 °C for 30 h. The ceramics prepared from the powders whose terminal pH is 6.57 were found to have the best transparency and the in-line transmittance reaches 68% at 611 nm. The influence of vacuum sintering temperatures on the microstructure and transmittance of the Eu:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics was also investigated. The Eu:Lu2O3 ceramics sintered at 1825 °C for 30 h show the highest in-line transmittance of 72% at 611 nm. The average grain size of the prepared Eu:Lu2O3 ceramics is about 454 μm and the light output of the sample is about 10 times higher than that of commercial BGO single crystal.