Fabrication of Lu2O3:Eu transparent ceramics using powder consisting of mono-dispersed spheres

Mono-dispersed spherical Lu2O3:Eu (5 mol%) powders for transparent ceramics fabrication were synthesized by urea-based homogeneous precipitation technique. The effects of the doped-Eu3+ on the synthesis of Lu2O3:Eu particles were investigated in detail. The results show that the doping of Eu3+ ions into Lu system can significantly decrease the particle size of the resultant precursor spheres. Owing to the sequential precipitation in Lu/Eu system, there are compositional gradients within each of the resultant precursor spheres. Well dispersed, homogeneous and spherical/near spherical Lu2O3:Eu powders were obtained after calcination at 600–1000 °C for 4 h. The powder calcined at 600 °C shows better sintering behavior and can be densified into transparent ceramic after vacuum sintering at 1700 °C for 5 h. The luminescence properties of the obtained Lu2O3:Eu powder and transparent ceramic were also studied.