Preparation of Ce-doped (Y,Gd)3Al5O12 nanoceramics by sintering and crystallization of glass microspheres

•Flame-sprayed Ce-doped (Y,Gd)3Al5O12 glass microspheres.•Crystallization below the onset crystallization temperature.•Sintering and crystallization of glass microspheres.•Nanoceramics prepared by control densification and grain growth separately.

Ce-doped (Y,Gd)3Al5O12 nanoceramics were fabricated by the method of hot-pressing sintering of glass microspheres followed by heat treatment. Glass microspheres prepared by the flame spraying-water quenching technique possess a high tendency toward crystallization. Crystallization below the onset crystallization temperature is observed when the glass microspheres were hot pressed. Nanostructured Ce-doped (Y,Gd)3Al5O12 ceramics can be obtained when the sintered bulk samples were annealed at temperatures below 1200 °C. The relative density of prepared nanoceramics increases with increasing annealing temperatures and Gd contents and it can reaches about 95%. The effects of annealing temperature and Gd substitution on the luminescence properties of prepared samples were investigated.

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