Synthesis and sintering of nanocrystalline Ce3+ - doped yttria nanoparticles prepared by precipitation method

Cerium doped yttrium oxide (Y 1.999 Ce 0.001 O 3 , Y 1.995 Ce 0.005 O 3, Y 1.99 Ce 0.01 O 3 ) nanoparticles have been synthesized by precipitation method with ammonium hydroxide as a precipitation agent. Partly agglomerated powders with the primary size of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles with the mean size of ~ 55 nm and cubic crystal structure were prepared. The green compacts were prepared from alcoholic suspension with PEG as a dispersant by vacuum-pressure filtration. The green bodies reached relative density over 43 % while relative density of sintered specimens (1550 °C/3 h) were in all cases close to 98 %. All sintered ceria doped samples displayed dense microstructure with closed porosity and monomodal grain size distribution. The samples exhibit light emission in the blue wavelength range, centred at 430 nm.