Effect of complex Si4++Mg2+ additive on sintering and properties of undoped YAG ceramics

• Published in: Journal of the European Ceramic Society Vol. 42; no. 13; pp. 6104 - 6109
• Main Authors: Vorona, I.O., Yavetskiy, R.P., Parkhomenko, S.V., Doroshenko, A.G., Kryzhanovska, O.S., Safronova, N.A., Timoshenko, A.D., Balabanov, A.E., Tolmachev, A.V., Baumer, V.N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2022
• Subjects: Mg2; Si4; Sintering aids; Transparent ceramics; YAG; Mg2; Transparent ceramics; Sintering aids; YAG; Si4
• ISSN: 0955-2219; 1873-619X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2022.05.017

The paper is devoted to studying of Si4++Mg2+ complex additive for obtaining transparent YAG ceramics for laser applications. Ceramics were fabricated by reactive vacuum sintering of commercial Y2O3, Al2O3 powders taken in a stoichiometric mixture with TEOS and MgO as sintering aids. Microstructure and optical properties of YAG:Si4+,Mg2+ ceramics were investigated as a function of the Si4+/Mg2+ ratio. It was found that the influence of complex additive does not correspond to the direct superposition of known Si4+- and Mg2+-induced sintering mechanisms and involves interaction between Si4+ and Mg2+ ions during sintering. It was shown that CSi/CMg> 1 provides more effective pore elimination and uniform microstructure when CSi/CMg< 1 gives more intense inhibition of grain grown which may be important for scaling the size of ceramics.