| Sc2O3is valuable for the field of top science such as the spaceflight, lasers, and missiles. Transparent Sc2O3ceramics which are fabricated with the nanopowders are a sort of highly valuable new functional materials. It could be fabricated for laser ceramics when doped with Yb3+, Nd3+and other rare earth elements. In this paper, the fabrication of Nd:Sc2O3nanopowders and transparent Nd:Sc2O3ceramics were studied.The precursors of different components are prepared by using Sc(NO3)3and Nd(NO3)3, and using ammonium hydroxide and ammonium hydrogen carbonate as the mixed precipitant, by using Sc2(SO4)3and Nd2(SO4)3, and using (CH2)6N4as precipitant. After the precursors are calcined at1100℃, Nd:Sc2O3nanopowders are synthesized. With these nanopowders by homogeneous precipitation method using sulfate, transparent Nd:Sc2O3ceramics are fabricated via vacuum sintering at the temperature of1750℃. The precursors, Nd:Sc2O3nanopowders and transparent Nd:Sc2O3ceramics are studied via thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, and elemental analysis.The result shows that the performance of Nd:Sc2O3nanopowders is high-quality. The nanopowders which are prepared by using sulfate are better than those nanopowders which are prepared by using nitrate. The nanopowders with an average size of about40nm are spherical and loosely dispersed, but they are slightly agglomerated. Transparent Nd:Sc2O3ceramics are fabricated with these nanopowders by homogeneous precipitation method using sulfate. In400～800nm, the transmittance of Nd:Sc2O3ceramic is about40%. With the concentration of Nd3+increasing, Nd:Sc2O3ceramic has much better rate of compaction. |
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