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Fabrication of high-strength transparent MgAl2O4 spinel polycrystals by optimizing spark-plasma-sintering conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Koji Morita*
Affiliation:
National Institute for Materials Science, Nano-Ceramics Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
Hidehiro Yoshida
Affiliation:
National Institute for Materials Science, Nano-Ceramics Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: morita.koji@nims.go.jp
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Abstract

By optimizing the heating rate during spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) processing, a high-strength transparent spinel (MgAl2O4) can be successfully fabricated for only a 20-min soak at 1300 °C. For the heating rates of ≤10 °C/min, the spinel exhibits an excellent combination of in-line transmission (50–70%), four-point-bending strength (>400 MPa), and hardness (>15 GPa). The excellent optical and mechanical properties can be ascribed to the superimposed effects of the sub-micrograin size, fine-pore size, and low porosity, which are related closely to the heating rate during the SPS processing. The present study demonstrates that to attain a high-strength transparent spinel at low temperatures and short sintering times, the low-heating-rate SPS processing is more efficient compared with the high-heating-rate SPS processing.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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