The Effect of Acrylate on the Properties and Machinability of Alumina Ceramics

Effect of methyl methacrylate (MMA) as a binder and heating treatment were investigated to improve green alumina compacts machinability. Properties of green compacts and their corresponding sintered samples prepared with and without MMA were compared. Investigation of green and sintered properties was performed on samples compacted at applied pressures up to 150 MPa. After pressing, samples with MMA were thermally treated at 115oC. The intention was to enhance the polymerization of MMA at a temperature a little higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg = 103oC) of poly (methyl methacrylate). Green compacts with MMA had higher green density values than those without MMA. Sintered samples with MMA had lower values of sintered density and higher values of total porosity; after sintering, relative linear shrinkage was around 15 % for the whole range of applied pressures. The possibility of easily machining the green compacts with MMA produces great possibilities for application in many fields.