Preparation and characterization of dysprosium (Dy) ultrafine nanocrystalline structures.

ABSTRACT

By combining the inert-gas condensation with the SPS technology in an entirely closed system with the oxygen concentration below 0.5 ppm, the pure Dy bulk with the ultrafine nanocrystalline structure has been prepared. Thus a novel and efficient route of preparing nano rare-earth metals, as well as metallic nanomaterials that are highly reactive in the air, is proposed. The thermal, physical and mechanical properties of the prepared ultrafine nanocrystalline Dy bulk have been characterized and compared with those of the conventional raw polycrystalline bulk. It is found that in the nanocrystalline Dy bulk, the starting temperature of phase transformation from hexagonal to rhombohedral crystal structure is reduced by 70 degrees C in comparison with that of the raw polycrystalline bulk. The electrical resistivity of the ultrafine nanocrystalline bulk is slightly increased by a few percent as compared with that of the polycrystalline bulk, while the thermal conductivity is reduced by 28-35%. The microhardness and the elastic modulus of the ultrafine nanocrystalline Dy bulk are found to be remarkably improved as compared with those of the raw polycrystalline bulk, e.g., the microhardness and the elastic modulus are approximately 2.4 and 2.0 times as high as those of the raw polycrystalline bulk, respectively.