In situ growth of elongated Al2O3 grains induced by Al nanoparticles

We have reported the in situ growth of elongated grains induced by Al nanoparticles for the fabrication of high-pure and high toughness Al2O3 ceramics. It is found that the introduced Al nanoparticles have a profound effect on the anisotropic growth of Al2O3 grains. As compared to the conventional techniques by adding impurities to induce the anisotropic grain growth, Al particles could be transformed into Al2O3 after sintering in air, leading to the formation of high-pure Al2O3 ceramics without contamination. The elongated grains induced by the Al nanoparticles make noticeable improvements of bending strength and fracture toughness of Al2O3 ceramics. Current work might benefit the fabrication of high-pure and high toughness Al2O3 ceramics with in situ grown elongated grains.