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Low temperature, transient liquid phase sintering of B2O3-SiO2-doped Nd:YAG transparent ceramics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2011

Adam J. Stevenson ,
Elizabeth R. Kupp  and
Gary L. Messing
Adam J. Stevenson*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Elizabeth R. Kupp
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Gary L. Messing
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ajsteven130@gmail.com
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Abstract

B2O3-SiO2 is shown to act as a transient liquid phase sintering aid that reduces the sintering temperature of Nd:YAG ceramics to 1600 °C. 1 at.% Nd3xY3-3xAl5O12 (Nd:YAG) ceramics were doped with 0.34–1.35 mol% B2O3-SiO2 and sintered between 1100 and 1700 °C. Dilatometric measurements show that B2O3-SiO2 doping increases the densification rate during intermediate-stage sintering relative to SiO2-doped samples. B3+ content is reduced to <5 ppm in samples heated to 1500 °C, as determined by mass spectrometry. For B2O3-SiO2-doped samples, final stage densification and grain growth follow a more densifying sintering trajectory than SiO2-doped 1 at.% Nd:YAG ceramics because there is less SiO2 during final-stage densification. The increased densification kinetics during intermediate-stage sintering lead to highly transparent Nd:YAG ceramics when sintered at 1600 °C in either vacuum or oxygen. Thus, transparent Nd:YAG ceramics can be sintered without the need for expensive refractory metal vacuum furnaces or pressure-assisted densification.

Keywords

SinteringOpticalDensification
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , 14 May 2011 , pp. 1151 - 1158
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2011

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