Synthesis, Characterization, and Sintering of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Powder Through Double Hydrolysis Approach

Abstract

A double hydrolysis approach is first adopted to prepare yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) powders using Y(NO₃)₃•6H₂O and NaAlO₂ as raw materials. A variety of techniques, such as thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are employed to characterize the as-synthesized samples. The results show that pure-phase YAG powders are accurately available at 900 ºC and above. Among these, the YAG powders, produced at 1100 ºC, are elliptic in shape, with an average particle size of ~44 nm. Pellets of pressed YAG powders are sintered in vacuum at 1700 °C for 8 h, resulting in a dense and nearly pore-free microstructure with an average grain size of ~7 μm.