Highly Dense Powder Lutetium Oxide for Advanced Ceramics and Optical Devices

Overview

Lutetium Oxide (Lu₂O₃) is a white, highly dense powder with exceptional chemical and optical properties, making it a premium material for cutting-edge technologies. With a CAS number of 12032-40-1 and a molecular weight of 397.94 g/mol, this rare-earth oxide offers purity levels of 99.9%-99.999% (5N), featuring a melting point of 2404°C and a density of 9.42 g/cm³—the highest among all rare-earth oxides. Its combination of high refractive index, low phonon energy, and excellent radiation resistance sets it apart for precision applications.

Features

1. Ultra-High Density: Enables the production of transparent ceramics with near-theoretical density (≥99.5% TD), critical for laser gain media and nuclear scintillators.

2. Broad Optical Transparency: Transmits light from the ultraviolet (200 nm) to mid-infrared (6 μm) regions, ideal for coating materials in astronomical telescopes.

3. Chemical Inertness: Resistant to both acidic and alkaline environments, making it suitable for use in harsh chemical processing equipment.

4. Controlled Crystal Structure: Available in cubic (fluorite structure) form, ensuring compatibility with yttrium and zirconium oxides in composite ceramic systems.

5. Low Rare-Earth Impurities: Strict purification reduces dysprosium, terbium, and other REE contaminants to <5 ppm, minimizing luminescence quenching in optical applications.

Applications

• Transparent Ceramics: Used in LuAG (lutetium aluminum garnet) crystals for high-power solid-state lasers, offering superior thermal conductivity and damage threshold compared to YAG.

• Nuclear Scintillators: Combined with cesium iodide to create detectors for gamma-ray imaging in medical diagnostics (e.g., PET scans) and security screening.

• Optical Coatings: Deposited as thin films on lenses and prisms to enhance anti-reflective properties in the 1-3 μm wavelength range, critical for thermal imaging systems.

• High-Temperature Refractories: Forms stable compounds with silicon and carbon, serving as a lining material in molten metal crucibles operating above 2000°C.

• Research & Development: Acts as a host matrix for doping with ytterbium or thulium ions in upconversion materials, enabling novel photonic devices for solar energy harvesting.

FAQ

Q: Why is Lutetium Oxide more expensive than other rare-earth oxides?

A: Due to its low natural abundance (0.5 ppm in Earth's crust) and complex purification process, which requires multiple solvent extraction stages.

Q: Can it be used in ceramic 3D printing?

A: Yes, its nanoscale powder (50-100 nm) is suitable for stereolithography and binder jetting, producing components with uniform microstructure and high mechanical strength.

Q: How does humidity affect the storage of Lu₂O₃?

A: While it has low hygroscopicity, long-term exposure to high humidity may cause slight surface hydration; store in sealed containers with desiccant packs for optimal stability.

Q: What is the typical particle size for transparent ceramic synthesis?

A: Submicron grades (D50=0.3-0.5 μm) are preferred to ensure full densification without residual porosity, achieving optical clarity comparable to single crystals.

Q: Does it have any radioactive isotopes?

A: Natural lutetium contains ~2.6% radioactive Lu-176, but industrial grades are chemically identical and pose no additional safety risks beyond standard radiation shielding practices.