Synthesis of Nd-YAG material by citrate-nitrate sol-gel combustion route

The synthesis of Nd-YAG material by citrate-nitrate sol-gel combustion method was investigated. The impact of purity level of precursor Nd xY3-xAl5O12 and its stoichiometry on the power synthesis was studied by preparing three different powders. An ammonium citrate solution was prepared by adding ammonium hydroxide to a water solution of citric acid. The combustion was performed by directly placing the gel in a muffle furnace at 500°C for 2 h. The chemical composition of calcined powder was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The powder exhibited a foamy structure due to the large evolution of gases and heat after combustion cycle. It was observed that combustion temperature (500°C) augmented decomposition of the precursors and the formation of oxide mixture. Result shows that the citrate-nitrate sol-gel combustion method is suitable for the production of YAG powders.