Translucent Al2O3 ceramics produced by an aqueous tape casting method

Translucent Al2O3 ceramics were produced by aqueous tape casting and a vacuum sintering process. The effect of the binder content on the rheological behavior of the slurries, the microstructure of the green tape, the in-line transmittance, and ceramic microstructure were studied. The rheological results indicate that the slurries exhibit obvious shear thinning behavior. After cutting, laminating, and binder removal, the laminated Al2O3 green bodies were sintered in a vacuum furnace. The in-line transmittance and SEM results show that the Al2O3 ceramic with 10 vol% PVA has the highest transmittance, with almost no pores and defects in the grain boundaries.