Synthesis and fluorescent property of NH4Y1.9Eu0.1F7 nanoparticles with the temperature effect on the morphology

Sphere NH4Y1.9Eu0.1F7 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method at 180 degrees C for 10 h. SEM and TEM images show the particles are spheres and have lots of hollows in them. The mean particle size is about 60 nm. The shape and size of the particles can be controlled by changing temperature and time of reactants. The luminescent property of the sample indicates that strong emission peaks of the Eu3+ ions are located at about 589 and 612 mm.

Thermal-shock resistance of LnMgAl(11)O(19) (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Gd) with magnetoplumbite structure

Lanthanide hexaaluminates including LaMgAl11O19, NdMgAl11O19, SmMgAl11O19 and GdMgAl11O19 were synthesized via Sol-Gel method. Due to the anisotropic crystal growth, these oxides crystallize in the form of platelets and the platelet thickness increases with the decrease of rare-earth ionic radius. It was observed that the thermal-shock resistances of LaMgAl11O19, NdMgAl11O19 and SmMgAl11O19 oxides were superior to 8YSZ as proved by water quenching tests. In addition, the thinner the platelet. the more interstices are retained in the sintered specimen, and the better thermal-shock resistance the oxide has. Based on SEM images, it can be seen that the SmMgAl11O19 sample exhibits a mixture of the intergranular and transgranular fracture after thermal cycling failure.

Investigation of Chemical Bond Characteristics, Thermal Expansion Coefficients and Bulk Moduli of alpha-R2MoO6 and R2Mo2O7 (R = rare earths) by Using a Dielectric Chemical Bond Method

Theoretical researches are performed on the alpha-R2MoO6 (R = Y, Gd, Tb Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Yb) and pyrochlore-type R2Mo2O7 (R = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy) rare earth molybdates by using chemical bond theory of dielectric description. The chemical bonding characteristics and their relationship with thermal expansion property and compressibility are explored. The calculated values of linear thermal expansion coefficient (LTEC) and bulk modulus agree well with the available experimental values. The calculations reveal that the LTECs and the bulk moduli do have linear relationship with the ionic radii of the lanthanides: the LTEC decreases from 6.80 to 6.62 10(-6)/K and the bulk modulus increases from 141 to 154 GPa when R goes in the order Gd, Tb Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb in the alpha-R2MoO6 series; while in the R2Mo2O7 series, the LTEC ranges from 6.80 to 6.61 10(-6)/K and the bulk modulus ranges from 147 to 163 GPa when R varies in the order Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy.

Chemical bond characteristics, thermal expansion property and compressibility of AR(2)O(4) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba; R = rare earths)

Theoretical researches were performed on the CaFe2O4-type binary rare earth oxides AR(2)O(4) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba; R = rare earths) by using chemical bond theory of dielectric description. The chemical bond properties of these crystals were explored, and then the thermal expansion property and compressibility were studied. The theoretical values of linear thermal expansion coefficient (LTEC) and bulk modulus were presented. The calculations revealed that the LTECs and the bulk moduli do have linear relationship with the ionic radii of the rare earths. In the cases of Sc and Y, both the LTEC and bulk modulus values are larger than the lanthanide series. We attribute this to the difference in the electronic configuration between Sc (Y) and lanthanide series. For SrY2O4 and BaY2O4 crystals, the theoretical values of LTEC and bulk modulus agree well with experimental ones.

Relationship between charge transfer energies of Yb3+ and Sm3+ and crystal environmental factor

Relationship between charge transfer energies E-CT of Yb3+ and Sm3+ and environmental factors h(e) in various crystals was investigated using a dielectric chemical bond method. Both results show that they have an exponential relation E-CT = A+B exp(-kh(e)), but the exponential factors are different, which indicates that the interaction between the rare earth ions and environment is connected with the kind of rare earth ion. This result provides a method of determining charge transfer energies of Yb3+ and Sm3+ from a crystal structure.

Extraction and separation of rare earths from chloride medium with mixtures of 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-(2-ethylhexyl) ester and sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid

BACKGROUND: 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-(2-ethylhexyl) ester (HEHEHP, H(2)A(2)) has been applied extensively to the extraction of rare earths. However, there are some limitations to its further utilization and the synergistic extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and another extractant has attracted much attention. Organic carboxylic acids are also a type of extractant employed for the extraction of rare earths, e.g. naphthenic acid has been widely used to separate yttrium from rare earths. Compared with naphthenic acid, sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA100, H2B2) has many advantages such as stable composition, low solubility, and strong acidity in the aqueous phase. In the present study, the extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100 has been investigated. The separation of the rare earth elements is also studied.

Solvent extraction of rare earths from chloride medium with mixtures of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazalone-5 and sec-octylphenoxyacetic acid

The extraction of rare earth elements from chloride medium by mixtures of sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA100) with bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) dithiophosphinic acid (Cyanex301) or bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) monothiophosphinic acid (Cyanex302) in n-heptane has been studied. The synergistic enhancement of the extraction of lanthanum (III) by mixtures of CA100 with Cyanex301 has been investigated using the methods of slope analysis and constant mole. The extracted complex of lanthanum (III) is determined. The logarithm of the equilibrium constant is calculated as - 1.41. The formation constants and the thermodynamic functions, Delta H, Delta G, and Delta S have also been determined.

Investigations of the properties of Mg-5Al-0.3Mn-xCe (x=0-3, wt.%) alloys

Mg-5Al-0.3Mn-xCe (x = 0-3, wt.%) alloys were prepared by metal mould casting method. The microstructures and mechanical properties were investigated. The results revealed that the main phases of as-cast Mg-5Al-0.3Mn alloy consist of alpha-Mg matrix and beta-Mg17Al12 phase. With the addition of Ce element, Al11Ce3 precipitates were formed and mainly aggregated along the grain boundaries. The amount of the Al11Ce3 precipitates increased with increasing addition of Ce, but the amount of beta-Mg17Al12 phase decreased. The highest tensile strength was obtained in Mg-5Al-0.3Mn-1.5Ce alloy. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and elongation at room temperature are 203 MPa, 88 MPa and 20%, separately.

Structure stability and strengthening mechanism of die-cast Mg-Gd-Dy based alloy

Mg-8Gd-1Dy-0.3Zn (wt.%) alloy was prepared by high-pressure die-casting technique. The thermal stability, mechanical properties at temperature range from room temperature to 573 K and strengthening mechanism was investigated. The results showed that the die-cast state alloy was mainly composed of fine cellular equiaxed grain. The fine porosity-free skin region was related to the aggregation of rare earth elements. The long lamellar-shaped stacking compound containing Zn and polygon-shaped precipitate were observed along the grain boundaries. The die-cast sample exhibited high mechanical properties and good thermal stability until 523 K.

Synthesis, photoluminescence, thermoluminescence and dosimetry properties of novel phosphor KSr4(BO3)(3):Ce

Polycrystalline powder sample of KSr4(BO3)(3) was synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reaction. The influence of different rare earth dopants, i.e. Tb3+, TM3+ and Ce3+, on thermoluminescence (TL) of KSr4(BO3)(3) Phosphor was discussed. The TL, photoluminescence (PL) and some dosimetric properties of Ce3+-activated KSr4(BO3)(3) phosphor were studied. The effect of the concentration of Ce3+ on TL intensity was investigated and the result showed that the optimum Ce3+ concentration was 0.2 mol%. The TL kinetic parameters of KSr4(BO3)(3):0.002 Ce3+ phosphor were calculated by computer glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) method. Characteristic emission peaking at about 407 and 383 nm due to the 4f(0)5d(1) -> F-2((5/2),(7/2)) transitions of Ce3+ ion were observed both in PL and three-dimensional (3D) TL spectra. The dose-response of KSr4(BO3)(3):0.002 Ce3+ to gamma-ray was linear in the range from 1 to 1000 mGy. In addition, the decay of the TL intensity of KSr4(BO3)(3):0.002 Ce3+ was also investigated.

Microstructure, tensile properties, and creep behavior of high-pressure die-cast Mg-4Al-4RE-0.4Mn (RE = La, Ce) alloys

High-pressure die-cast (HPDC) Mg-4Al-4RE-0.4Mn (RE = La, Ce) magnesium alloys were prepared and their microstructures, tensile properties, and creep behavior have been investigated in detail. The results show that two binary Al-Ce phases, Al11Ce3 and Al2Ce, are formed mainly along grain boundaries in Mg-4Al-4Ce-0.4Mn alloy, while the phase composition of Mg-4Al-4La-0.4Mn alloy contains only alpha-Mg and Al11La3. The Al11La3 phase comprises large coverage of the grain boundary region and complicated morphologies. Compared with Al11Ce3 phase, the higher volume fraction and better thermal stability of Al11La3 have resulted in better-fortified grain boundaries of the Mg-4Al-4La-0.4Mn alloy. Thus higher tensile strength and creep resistance could be obtained in Mg-4Al-4La-0.4Mn alloy in comparison with that of Mg-4Al-4Ce-0.4Mn. Results of the theoretical calculation that the stability of Al11La3 is the highest among four Al-RE intermetallic compounds supports the experimental results further.

Microstructures and properties of Mg-7Gd alloy containing Y

Mg-7 mass%Gd-x mass%Y (x = 0, 1, 3 and 5) alloys were prepared by casting method, and the microstructures, age hardening behavior and mechanical properties have been investigated. The results show that the addition of Y to the binary Mg-7Gd alloy could reduce the grain size of the as-cast alloys, and enhance the age hardening response and improve mechanical properties during the investigated temperature range. The Mg-7Gd-5Y alloy exhibits maximum ultimate tensile strength and yield strength at peak hardness, and the values are 258 and 167 MPa at room temperature, and 212 and 140 MPa at 250 degrees C, respectively, which is about 1.8 times as high as the Mg-7Gd binary alloy. When x is more than 3, the amount of Mg-5 (Gd,Y) phase is observed at the peak hardness of aged alloys. The significant improvement of the tensile strength at peak hardness is mainly attributed to the fine dispersion of the beta-Mg-5(Gd,Y) precipitate.

Application of rare earths in thermal barrier coating materials

Rare earths are a series of minerals with special properties that make them essential for applications including miniaturized electronics, computer hard disks, display panels, missile guidance, pollution controlling catalysts, H-2-storage and other advanced materials. The use of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) has the potential to extend the working temperature and the life of a gas turbine by providing a layer of thermal insulation between the metallic substrate and the hot gas. Yttria (Y2O3), as one of the most important rare earth oxides, has already been used in the typical TBC material YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia). In the development of the TBC materials, especially in the latest ten years, rare earths have been found to be more and more important. All the new candidates of TBC materials contain a large quantity of rare earths, such as R2Zr2O7 (R=La, Ce, Nd, Gd), CeO2-YSZ, RMeAl11O19 (R=La, Nd; Me=Mg, Ca, Sr) and LaPO4. The concept of double-ceramic-layer coatings based on the rare earth materials and YSZ is effective for the improvement of the thermal shock life of TBCs at high temperature.

Properties of complex of Tb(III) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-g-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-styrene) core-shell nanoparticles

We successfully prepared a new kind of thermoresponsive and fluorescent complex of Tb(III) and PNIPAM-g-P(NIPAM-co-St) (PNNS) core-shell nanoparticle. It was found that Tb(III) mainly bonded to 0 of the carbonyl groups of PNNS, forming the novel (PNIPAM-g-P(NIPAM-co-St))-Tb(III) (PNNS-Tb(III)) complex. The maximum emission intensity of the complex at 545 nm is enhanced about 223 times comparing to that of the pure Tb(III). The intramolecular energy transfer efficiency from PNNS to Tb(III) reaches 50%. When the weight ratio of Tb(III) and the PNNS-Tb(III) complex is 1.2 wt.%, the enhancement of the emission fluorescence intensity at 545 nm is highest.

Fabrication and luminescent properties of rare earths-doped Gd-2(WO4)(3) thin film phosphors by Pechini sol-gel process

Rare earth ions (Eu3+ and Dy3+)-doped Gd-2(WO4)(3) phosphor films were prepared by a Pechini sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as lifetimes were used to characterize the resulting powders and films. The results of XRD indicate that the films begin to crystallize at 600degreesC and the crystallinity increases with the elevation of annealing temperatures. The film is uniform and crack-free, WO(4)(2-)mainly consists of closely packed fine particles with an average grain size of 80 nm. Owing to an energy transfer from 4 groups, the rare earth ions show their characteristic emissions in crystalline Gd-2(WO4)(3) phosphor films, i.e., D-5(J) -F-7(J), (J = 0, 1, 2, 3; J' = 0 1, 2, 3, 4, not in all cases) transitions for Eu3+ and F-4(9/2)-H-6(J) (J = 13/2, 15/2) transitions for D Y3+, with the hypersensitive transitions D-5(0)-F-7(2) (Eu3+) and F-4(9/2) - H-6(13/2) (Dy3+) being the most prominent groups, respectively.