A novel low temperature synthesis technique of sol–gel derived nanocrystalline alumina abrasive

The effect of ball milling process, co-doped seed and two step sintering technique on the properties of sol–gel derived alumina abrasive sintered at low temperature was investigated. The results showed that ball milling time with 10 h can be effective in enhancing the activity of the precursor and the microstructural uniformity of sintered alumina abrasive. A small amount of Al2O3–(NH4)3AlF6 co-doped seed addition had potential synergistic effects for reducing α-Al2O3 phase transformation temperature and improving the mechanical property of alumina abrasive. A remarkable suppression of grain growth was achieved by controlling sintering temperature with two-step sintering method. Therefore, by using ball milling process, co-doping α-Al2O3–(NH4)3AlF6 seed and two-step sintering technique, the sol–gel derived uniform nanocrystalline alumina abrasive is easily achieved at low temperature. Nanocrystalline alumina abrasive prepared at these conditions exhibited excellent mechanical properties and wear resistance compared to fused corundum abrasive and those sol–gel derived corundum abrasive with conventional sintering methods.