Production of Transparent Ceramics Based on YAG: Ce (Y3-xCexAl5O12) for use as X-Rays Detectors using Colloidal Process

Scintillators play a central role in modern engineering as converters of high-energy ionizing radiation (such as X-rays) into visible light, being one of the main components of radiation detectors. To meet the high demand for these components, in combination with the development of new materials and techniques for the production of increasingly efficient scintillators, a series of research has been carried out in recent decades. Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) is a material that stands out in different fields of scintillation. To produce transparent ceramics scintillators, in this work, Ce-doped YAG nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method, followed by calcination at 1100 °C. To achieve the desired microstructure and transparency for the final application of the material, conformation, and sintering were tailored to achieve the best parameters for obtaining such properties. Seeking to achieve a high green density through a colloidal process, using the pressure slip casting method, the concentration of solids in the colloidal suspension was a key parameter, as well as the colloidal stability and pressure applied during the slip casting. The final densities obtained for the different parameters were measured and compared. In this way, the purpose of this work is to present a methodology for the production of transparent ceramics scintillator by pressure slip casting method, seeking to reach the final properties necessary for use in the Sirius fourth generation Synchrotron, located at the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Brazil.