Patent ID: 8168092

Claim:
A process for the production of ceramics comprising the steps of: a) placing a graphite layer into a mold arranged inside a heater and configured to receive a die, the mold being a solid-solution hardened and particle-strengthened molybdenum-based alloy comprising titanium carbide and zirconium carbide, b) placing a molybdenum foil onto the graphite layer in the mold; c) placing a ceramic powder onto the molybdenum foil; d) placing additional layers of ceramic powder and additional layers of molybdenum foil and graphite layer between each layer of ceramic powder in the mold to form a stack; e) arranging a second to last layer of the stack to be molybdenum foil; f) arranging a last layer of the stack to be a graphite layer; g) creating a vacuum of ≧1×10 −8 bar to ≦1×10 −3 bar within the pressing apparatus; h) heating to a temperature of ≧1000° C. to ≦1400° C.; i) applying a pressure of ≧100 MPa to ≦220 MPa with the die; and wherein the ceramic powder comprises Gd 2 O 2 S doped with an element selected from the group comprising Eu, Tb, Yb, Dy, Sm, Ho, Ce and/or Pr and the graphite layer has a porosity of about 20%.