Fabrication of submicron alumina ceramics by pulse electric current sintering using M2+ (M = Mg, Ca, Ni)-doped alumina nanopowders

Dense submicron-grained alumina ceramics were fabricated by pulse electric current sintering (PECS) using M2+(M: Mg, Ca, Ni)-doped alumina nanopowders at 1250 °C under a uniaxial pressure of 80 MPa. The M2+-doped alumina nanopowders (0–0.10 mass%) were prepared through a new sol–gel route using high-purity polyhydroxoaluminum (PHA) and MCl2 solutions as starting materials. The composite gels obtained were calcined at 900 °C and ground by planetary ball milling. The powders were re-calcined at 900 °C to increase the content of α-alumina particles, which act as seeding for low-temperature densification. Densification and microstructural development depend on the M2+ dopant species. Dense alumina ceramics (relative density ≥99.0%) thus obtained had a uniform microstructure composed of fine grains, where the average grain size developed for non-doped, Ni-doped, Mg-doped and Ca-doped samples was 0.67, 0.67, 0.47 and 0.30 μm, respectively, showing that Ca-doping is the most promising method for tailoring of nanocrystalline alumina ceramics.