Effect of heat treatment of alumina granules on the compaction behavior and properties of green and sintered bodies

The effects of the heat treatment of Al2O3 granules on the fracture behavior and compressibility of the granules, as well as on the properties of the green and sintered bodies, were examined. Heat treatment contributed to increasing the strength of granules, resulting in poor deformability. However, the hard and brittle characteristics of the heat-treated granules did not hinder the promotion of uniform powder packing and the formation of a nearly cohesive compact under high compaction pressure. Although as-spray-dried granules were more deformable during compaction, they left clear interfaces between granules in the green bodies, resulting in the preservation of large pores in the samples after sintering. The high density and small pore size in green compacts formed with heat-treated granules contributed to reducing the pore-defect size in the sintered bodies, resulting in high fracture strength. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.