Process for preparing advanced ceramic powders using onium dicarboxylates

1. A process of producing a ceramic powder comprising:

providing a plurality of precursor materials in solution, wherein each of the plurality of precursor materials in solution further comprises at least one constituent ionic species of a ceramic powder;

combining the plurality of precursor materials in solution with an onium dicarboxylate precipitant solution to cause co-precipitation of the ceramic powder precursor in a combined solution; and

separating the ceramic powder precursor from the combined solution,

wherein the onium dicarboxylate comprises a tertiary sulfonium having general formula (III):

wherein in formula (III), R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl or an alkoxyalkyl group containing from 1 to about 20, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups or hydroxyaryl groups containing from 6 to 18 ring carbon atoms, when substituted, said substitution comprises one or more substituent selected from any of the foregoing alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkoxyalkyl groups, or R 1 and R 2 or R 3 together with A may form a heterocyclic group provided that if the heterocyclic group contains a C═S group, R 3 is the second bond.

2. A process of producing a ceramic powder comprising:

providing a plurality of precursor materials in solution, wherein each of the plurality of precursor materials in solution further comprises at least one constituent ionic species of a ceramic powder;

combining the plurality of precursor materials in solution with an onium dicarboxylate precipitant solution to cause co-precipitation of the ceramic powder precursor in a combined solution; and

separating the ceramic powder precursor from the combined solution,

wherein the onium dicarboxylate comprises a tertiary sulfoxonium having general formula (IV):

wherein in formula (IV), R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl or an alkoxyalkyl group containing from 1 to about 20, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups or hydroxyaryl groups containing from 6 to 18 ring carbon atoms, when substituted, said substitution comprises one or more substituent selected from any of the foregoing alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkoxyalkyl groups, or R 1 and R 2 or R 3 together with A may form a heterocyclic group provided that if the heterocyclic group contains a C═S group, R 3 is the second bond.

3. A process of producing a ceramic powder comprising:

providing a plurality of precursor materials in solution, wherein each of the plurality of precursor materials in solution further comprises at least one constituent ionic species of a ceramic powder;

combining the plurality of precursor materials in solution with an onium dicarboxylate precipitant solution to cause co-precipitation of the ceramic powder precursor in a combined solution; and

separating the ceramic powder precursor from the combined solution,

wherein the onium dicarboxylate comprises an imidazolium having general formula (V):

wherein in formula (V), R 1 and R 3 are each independently an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl or an alkoxyalkyl group containing from 1 to about 20, substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups or hydroxyaryl groups containing from 6 to 18 ring carbon atoms, when substituted, said substitution comprises one or more substituent selected from any of the foregoing alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkoxyalkyl groups.

4. A process of producing a ceramic powder comprising:

providing a plurality of precursor materials in solution, wherein each of the plurality of precursor materials in solution further comprises at least one constituent ionic species of a ceramic powder;

combining the plurality of precursor materials in solution with an onium dicarboxylate precipitant solution to cause co-precipitation of the ceramic powder precursor in a combined solution; and

separating the ceramic powder precursor from the combined solution,

wherein the onium dicarboxylate comprises tetramethyl ammonium oxalate and a second onium oxalate wherein the second onium has a general formula (II):

wherein in formula (II), A is a nitrogen or phosphorus atom, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently an alkyl group containing from 4 to about 20 carbon atoms.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein the onium dicarboxylate comprises one or more of oxalate, malonate, succinate, glutarate, adipate, carbonate, maleate, fumarate, phthalate, isophthalate and terephthalate.

6. The process of claim 4 wherein the precursor materials comprise ions of one or a combination of two or more of: Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Al, Si, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Th, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Si, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, TI, Pb, Bi, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er, Ho, Er, Tm, Tb, Th, Pa, U, Np and Pu.

7. The process of claim 4 further comprising calcining the ceramic powder precursor to form a ceramic powder.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the calcining is carried out at a temperature in the range from about 200° C. to about 1500° C. for a time in the range from about 1 minute to about 24 hours.

9. The process of claim 7 further comprising sintering the ceramic powder subsequent to the calcining.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the sintering is carried out at a temperature in the range from about 1000° C. to about 3000° C. for a time in the range from about 1 minute to about 24 hours.

11. The process of claim 4 wherein the ceramic powder exhibits at least one improved property comprising one or more of improved particle size distribution, reduced particle size, reduced metal impurities and improved particle morphology, improved compositional homogeneity, improved control of stoichiometry, improved re-dispersability and enhanced chemical stability, as compared to a ceramic powder made by a process not including the onium dicarboxylate as precipitant.