Microwave Reaction Sintering of Ce:YAG—Al2O3 Ceramic Composites from Powder Mixtures of Different Granulometric Compositions
摘要
We obtain samples of Ce:YAG—Al2O3 ceramic composites with a density of up to 97.2% of the theoretical value by microwave reaction sintering of Ce:Y2O3 + Al2O3 powder mixtures via heating by 24-GHz gyrotron radiation to 1680–1725°C with an isothermal hold of 15 min. Optimized sintering schedules with slow heating at high temperatures, ensuring stable microwave heating while minimizing the total process duration, have been proposed. The influence of the particle size in the initial Al2O3 powder on the phase formation in the Y–Al–O system has been studied. A significant effect of the microwave electromagnetic field on the activation of solid-phase diffusion phenomena has been demonstrated. The optical and mechanical properties of the ceramic composite samples obtained in rapid microwave reaction sintering processes are comparable to those of similar materials obtained by conventional consolidation methods.