US 12,129,209 B2
Al additions for grain pinning in Y2O3—MgO
Kenneth Smith, East Longmeadow, MA (US); Stephanie Silberstein Bell, North Andover, MA (US); Christopher S. Nordahl, Littleton, MA (US); Thomas M. Hartnett, Nashua, NH (US); Richard Gentilman, Acton, MA (US); and R. Wesley Jackson, Mystic, CT (US)
Assigned to RAYTHEON COMPANY, Tewksbury, MA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/648,921.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/150,448, filed on Feb. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0259107 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. C04B 35/505 (2006.01); C04B 35/04 (2006.01); C04B 35/626 (2006.01); B82Y 20/00 (2011.01); B82Y 30/00 (2011.01); B82Y 40/00 (2011.01)
CPC C04B 35/505 (2013.01) [C04B 35/04 (2013.01); C04B 35/62605 (2013.01); B82Y 20/00 (2013.01); B82Y 30/00 (2013.01); B82Y 40/00 (2013.01); C04B 2235/3206 (2013.01); C04B 2235/3217 (2013.01); C04B 2235/3225 (2013.01); C04B 2235/402 (2013.01); C04B 2235/5454 (2013.01); C04B 2235/785 (2013.01); C04B 2235/85 (2013.01); C04B 2235/9646 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nanocomposite optical ceramic (NCOC) material comprising:
a first solid phase, consisting of first solid phase grains no larger than 5 μm, each first solid phase grain having a first solid phase grain boundary, wherein the first solid phase comprises magnesium oxide;
a second solid phase consisting of second solid phase grains no larger than 5 μm, each second solid phase grain having a second solid phase grain boundary, wherein the second solid phase comprises yttrium (III) oxide; and
a third solid phase comprising a doping agent, wherein the doping agent is less than 5 atomic % soluble in the first solid phase and the second solid phase, wherein the doping agent comprises aluminum, aluminum oxide, or some combination thereof;
wherein the doping agent combines with the first solid phase or the second solid phase to form a pinning phase that is interspersed between grains of the first solid phase and the second solid phase such that a three-phase system of MgO, Y2O3 and Y4Al2O9 is formed, wherein the three-phase system has a ratio of Y4Al2O9:Y2O3+MgO of between 1:200 and 1:3.