Liquid metal carboxylates as precursors for aluminum-containing ceramics

Liquids salts of aluminum, magnesium, and yttrium were prepared via the reaction of 2-[2-(2-methoxy)ethoxy]ethoxyacetic acid (MEEA) with aluminum basic acetate, magnesium hydroxide, or yttrium carbonate, respectively. These salts may be used to prepare liquid precursors for binary aluminum-containing ceramics by dissolution of metal nitrates in one of the liquid metal carboxylates. In this manner, preceramic liquids were synthesized that yielded magnesium, copper, and nickel spinels and yttrium aluminum garnet at temperatures as low as 600 degrees C. The carboxylates may also be used to prepare spinel at 700 degrees C by a modified powder process in which alumina is coated with magnesium oxide using Mg(MEEA)(2). In a similar approach, liquid aluminosilicate precursors were prepared by suspension of nano-particulate silica in Al(MEEA)(2)OH.