The effect of LiF on preparation of transparent Eu:La2Zr2O7 ceramics by SPS

Pyrochlores are known for their sintering resistance, therefore, a novel approach for preparation of transparent Eu:La2Zr2O7 pyrochlore ceramics by spark plasma sintering (SPS) is demonstrated with LiF as a sintering ad-ditive. It is shown that LiF not only decreases the on-set temperature and final sintering temperature, but also effectively reduces porosity to achieve transparency. Moreover, since LiF acts only as a transition liquid phase, it does not alter the phase composition even after annealing.