Transparent metal fluoride ceramic
A method for producing a metal fluoride ceramic, comprising: providing a sedimented compound comprising metal fluoride particles having an average particle size lower than 30 nm and a solvent, partially drying the sedimented compound at a temperature lower than 65° C. until the partially dried compound comprises from 5 wt % to 45 wt % of the solvent, and sintering, for example in air, the partially dried and sedimented compound.
1. A method for producing a metal fluoride ceramic, comprising:
providing a sedimented compound comprising metal fluoride particles having an average particle size lower than 30 nm and a solvent;
partially drying the sedimented compound at a temperature lower than 65° C. until the partially dried compound comprises from 5 wt % to 45 wt % of the solvent; and
sintering the partially dried and sedimented compound.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing a sedimented compound comprises:
centrifuging the metal fluoride particles in the solvent, and removing the supernate.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sintering is performed under air and under atmospheric pressure.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sedimented compound comprises about 60 wt % of solvent or less.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal fluoride particles have a standard deviation of the particle size lower than 25 nm.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal fluoride particles are selected from the group comprising MF2, AMF3, ABF4 and AB3F10, and a solid solution MF2-M′F2, wherein A is an alkali metal, B is a rare earth metal and M and M′ are an alkaline earth metal.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein A is selected from the group consisting of potassium, sodium, cesium and rubidium, B is selected from the group consisting of yttrium and lanthanides, and M and M′ are selected from the group comprising calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein M is calcium.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal fluoride particles further comprise at least one dopant.
10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the dopant is selected from the group consisting of transition metals and rare earth metals.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the metal fluoride particles are ytterbium (III) doped calcium fluoride particles.
12. The method according claim 1 , wherein the sintering is performed at a temperature ranging between 500° C. to 750° C.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing a sedimented compound comprises:
providing a mixture of a solvent and of metal fluoride particles, and
centrifuging the mixture for about 40 min or more, and removing the supernate.