Molten salt synthesis of YMnO3 powder with high near-infrared reflectivity

YMnO3 powders mainly in orthorhombic structure can be prepared via a facile molten salt synthesis (MSS) method at 700 °C for 2 h. The resulting powders had high reflectivity in near-infrared wavelengths. We then studied the phase compositions and the reflectivity in the near-infrared wavelength range of the YMnO3 powders after heat treatment at different temperatures. The orthorhombic phase was completely transformed into a hexagonal phase after heating at 1200 °C or above. The heat-treated YMnO3 powders had markedly enhanced near-infrared reflectivity. This indicated that the YMnO3 powders had good thermal stability in the near-infrared reflectivity useful for energy conservation in high-temperature industries.