Production and structural characterization of tailored made open-cell alumina–vanadia foams

Tailored made open-cell alumina–vanadia foams were produced by employing a dissolution sintering process, using crystalline raw cane sugar as a leachable pore former material. The process parameters of the production stages were properly adjusted to optimize the quality and structure of open-cell ceramic foams. The influence of sintering conditions (temperature, time and cooling rate) on the microstructure of the resultant foam is investigated with a view to produce high-quality ceramic foams having satisfactory strength. The effects of V2O5 molar addition on the microstructure of ceramics foams are described by SEM and XRD analyses. The crystal size, grain growth (appearance of texturing-preferred orientation) and X-ray intensities of phases are closely related to the cooling rate and sintering duration. V2O5 addition enlarges the lattice parameters of the Al2O3 phase resulting in a 4–5% increase of the actual (measured) porosity of the produced ceramic foam compared to the theoretical one.