STRUCTURE AND MORPHOLOGY OF ULTRADISPERSED ERBIUM YTTERBIUM OXIDE POWDERS OBTAINED BY DEPOSITION METHOD

The aim of research is to develop a new method for synthesis of ultra-dispersed crystalline powders of lanthanide oxides, in particular, erbium oxide doped with ytterbium oxide, intended for making transparent ceramics. The formation of nanostructured powders of the erbium oxide – ytterbium oxide system using deposition and heat treatment processes by co-deposition of salt solutions mixed with ammonium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide complex solution at temperature of 10 °C followed annealing at 100, 650, 900 and 1200°C was studied. Studies of the morphological and structural characteristics of the powders using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis showed that the Er2O3–Yb2O3 particles are great extent agglomerated, they have a laminar, plate-like morphology with the laminate thickness of about 50 nm, length of 10–15 μm (650 °С), when sediment is annealed at 900°C, laminar particles split into 30–60 nm diameter fibers, and during subsequent heating the fibers in agglomerates fuse together forming a mesh structure, the size of the annealed particles being 150–200 nm