Experimental Study of the Synthesis of ErB₂ Based on ErH₂

With ball milling process, ErB₂ sample was synthesized under a normal pressure and sintering temperature of 700, 750 and 800℃ using erbium hydride (ErH₂) and boron (B) powder as raw materials. The phase analysis and content calculation were carried out by the X ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Rietveld refinement, respectively. The effects of temperature and B compensation amounts on the yield of ErB₂ were investigated. The results show that the yield of ErB₂ is only 43% by the reaction of ErH₂ and B at 700℃. When the sintering temperature is 800℃, the impurity phase ErB₄ appears in the product and the yield of ErB₂ is 81%. When the sintering temperature is 750℃, the yield of ErB₂ is the highest (83%). Among the different boron compensation amounts of ErH₂+(2+x) B (x=0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) compositions sintered at 750℃, the highest yield of ErB₂ obtained is 88% when x is 0.2.