The Gel Route to Yttrium Oxide

Abstract

ABSTRACTSynthesis of pure Y2O3 Powders have been performed through the sol-gel process. Stable colloids in the range of 500 Å to 2000 Å have been obtained by hydroxylation of yttrium-aquo ions performed through an anion exchange resin.The chemical nature of these sols and gels investigated by GTA, DTA and EXAFS is in close agreement with Y(OH)3nH2O. Scattering experiments (S.A.N.S, S.A.X.S, light scattering) show that these colloids are made of anisotropie particles, that can be described as platelets 30 Å thick, 500 Å large and a few thousand Angstroms long.This synthesis can be extended to other rare earth colloids.