Sinterability of nanopowders of terbia solid solutions with scandia, yttria, and lutetia

The synthesis of nanopowders of terbia compounds with scandia, yttria, and lutetia was carried out using a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis method involving a mixture of nitrates of metals and glycine as a precursor. The nanopowder phase transformations were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that lutetia has a negligible effect on the phase formation in terbia. On the other hand, yttrium and scandium ions significantly suppressed crystallization. The densification kinetics of nanopowders of the Tb₂O₃ compounds and the microstructure of ceramics after microwave sintering were studied using dilatometry and scanning electron microscopy. The introduction of scandia, yttria, or lutetia contributed to the intensification of the densification of the terbia ceramics when heated in a microwave field. Near full-density materials of terbia solid solutions with lutetia and yttria were obtained at about 1600–1640 ℃. The ceramics of scandia–terbia compounds contained the second phase, which causes light scattering.