Transparent ceramics from sol–gel derived elpasolites by cold pressing

A new method to produce ceramics transparent in the visible range from sol–gel derived Al-elpasolites by cold pressing is presented and the pressure-induced changes in the samples are described by scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The described results are unique in the area of metal fluorides and offer new possibilities in materials science and especially in optics, as this approach is transferable to numerous other systems.