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| Monthly Tech-Tip | No tracking! No ads! No paywall! |
Alumina ceramic is far superior to even the strongest porcelain in terms of hardness, wear resistance, and high-temperature stability. Porcelains are mixes of kaolin, feldspar and silica. Alumina parts are just micron-sized calcined alumina powder fired to an incredible cone 30 or more! The powder is mixed with binders and formed by pressing or injection molding. Precision "green machining" is also used while the part is chalky. The sintering is done at 1,700°C (3,100°F), for days, enabling the fine particles to fuse into a material approaching diamond hardness. With super fine particle size, high purity, dense packing and prolonged firing, surfaces can be white and so smooth they are glossy (e.g. spark plugs are not glazed). Parts can even be translucent. The incredible part: Alumina is not vitrified, it is sintered, no glass is developed during firing!
| Materials |
Calcined Alumina
A high-purity Al2O3 used in technical ceramics, refractories, glazes, and bodies for its extreme hardness, high-temperature strength, and chemical stability. |
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