SINTERING AND GRAIN-GROWTH OF ULTRAPURE ALUMINA

The kinetics of densification and grain growth of ultrapure alumina (> 99.999%) were measured for clean sintering conditions in a pure-sapphire tube, and compared with kinetics measured during normal sintering conditions in an alumina crucible of 99.8% purity. For the clean condition, the microstructure of sintered alumina remained homogeneous and only normal grain growth was observed up to 1900-degrees-C for 5 h. However, under the normal sintering condition, both normal and abnormal grain growth were observed depending on the sintering temperature and time. Thus, abnormal grain growth in alumina could be effectively suppressed without introducing sintering aids (such as MgO) by using an ultrapure powder and by preventing the introduction of any impurities throughout the sintering process. This result strongly suggests that abnormal grain in commercially pure alumina (less-than-or-equal-to 99.99%) is not an intrinsic property of alumina but an extrinsic property controlled by minor constituents that can be present in the original powder or introduced during powder processing and subsequent sintering.