Ultrapure, Spherical, Monodisperse, Unagglomerated Nanopowders for Infrared Window Materials

The proposed program will demonstrate the feasibility of a novel process to synthesize ultrapure, spherical, monodispersed, unagglomerated yttrium oxide nanopowders. These nanopowders will facilitate the fabrication of fully dense infrared windows. Yttriumoxide nanopowders will be made by sonochemical method. The starting materials to be used are pure yttrium nitrate or yttrium chloride or yttrium acetate, suitable solvent and surfactant to keep the particles separated. The effect of various solvents andsurfactants will be studied as well as different parameters for sonication such as sonication time and frequency that will be optimized to make monodispersed, unagglomerated nanopowders with diameters less than 25 nanometers. These nanopowders will becharacterized for their phase purity, particle size distribution and chemical composition. This process is scalable for larger and more economical quantities of powder. Novel process for making dispersed nanometer particles that can be made into ananograin ceramic window by casting or other consolidation method.