Fine crystal structure of porous corundum ceramics

The microstructure of corundum ceramics based on powders with a varying grain size has been investigated. Both commercial alumina powders and those fabricated by denitration of aluminum salts in a high-frequency discharge plasma were used. An increase in the plasma-chemical Al₂O₃ powder content in the sample was found to change the pore structure of the corundum ceramics from a high-porosity ceramic skeleton with a well-developed system of channel-forming pores to ceramics with isolated pores. The change in the pore structure was observed for 50% porosity and caused an increase in the level of crystal lattice microdistortions. An increase in the sintering temperature from 1200 to 1650°C is shown to be responsible for a two-fold increase in the average crystallite size and for annealing of lattice defects along grain boundaries.