Specialty aluminas for technical ceramic applications

Alumina is the most widely used material in technical ceramic applications, due to its excellent combination of physical, thermal and electrical properties. Typical applications include catalytic substrates, electronic substrates, mechanical wear parts, spark plugs and thermal interface management. Each application and process has specialized requirements for the alumina powder, which greatly differentiates them within the field of technical ceramics. Understanding the effects of raw material physical and chemical characteristics on product performance is critical for each application. For example, some applications are very sensitive to particle size distribution or surface area, while others are most sensitive to chemical impurity content. In this work, we discuss the importance and effects of specific chemical impurities (Na₂O, SiO₂, CaO, MgO), and impurity levels, within various specialty aluminas, on the sintering profile and mechanical properties of alumina-based technical ceramic parts. Almatis, an OYAK Group company, is the leading manufacturer of alumina and alumina-based products. Almatis has a global footprint of operating plants and sales locations, ensuring regional supply to a global industry.