Formation and photoluminescence of Y2O3–H3BO3:Eu3+ powders by mechanical alloying

Y2O3–H3BO3:Eu3+ powders were synthesized by the mechanical alloying (MA) method, and their structural and photoluminescent characteristics were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and luminescence spectrophotometer. The crystallite size of the powder mixture milling for 30 minutes (min) by the Willaimson–Hall method was approximately 58.8 nm with strain of 0.00141; overall, the internal strain increased with the milling time (tm). The morphology of the powder mixture with tm, as observed by SEM, divided into three different stages: agglomeration (0 < tm ≤ 30 min), disintegration (30min < tm ≤ 120 min), and homogenization (120min < tm ≤ 300 min). The transition temperature and the weight reduction rate of the sample powders were 645.58 °C and 2.851%, respectively. Furthermore, the photoluminescence of the powder mixture excited to 240 nm by a zenon discharge lamp (20 kW) was detected near 592 nm(5Do → 7F1), 613 nm, 628  (5Do → 7F2), and 650 nm (5Do → 7F3).

► Y2O3–H3BO3:Eu3+ were synthesized by mechanical alloying at room temperature. ► The crystallite size and the strain from the Williamson–Hall method (30 min) were about 58.8 nm and 0.00141, respectively. ► The morphology could be divided into the agglomeration stage, the disintegration stage, and the homogenization stage. ► The transition temperature and weight reduction rate were 645.58 °C and 2.851%, respectively. ► The luminescence was observed around 592 nm, 613 nm, 628 nm, and 650 .