Method for the preparation of coprecipitated carbonate of lanthanum, cerium and terbium

摘要

An improved method is proposed for the preparation of a composite carbonate powder of lanthanum, cerium and terbium as a base material of a green-emitting phosphor for which the carbonate powder is desired to have a uniform particle size distribution and a particle configuration as close to spherical as possible. The improved method is characterized by two-step heat treatment of the carbonate slurry formed by the addition of, for example, ammonium hydrogen carbonate to a mixed aqueous solution of lanthanum, cerium and terbium nitrates each under specified conditions while the pH of the aqueous slurry is adjusted to 5.0 to 7.5 after the first step heat treatment but before the second step heat treatment.