Co-precipitation synthesis of YAG:Nd nano-powders: the effect of joint thermal and mechanical treatment

Luminescence properties of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet obtained by the co-precipitation method combined with the mechanical process.

Nanopowders of yttrium aluminium garnet Y3Al5O12 (YAG) doped with neodymium ions were obtained by the co-precipitation method from the reaction of aluminium and yttrium nitrate and neodymium oxide with ammonia. After washing and drying the hydroxide precursors were calcined at 500, 700, 800 and 900 °C for 1 hour and at 1000 °C for 3 hours. This product was treated by ball milling in a zirconia vial for 0.5, 1.5 and 10 h in order to achieve smaller nanoparticles. The structure, microstructure, morphology and optical properties were investigated by means of diffractometric, microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The course of the amorphous-to-crystalline transformation was complete after c…