Effect of TiO2 and temperature on fabrication of porous Al2O3- based porous ceramic by pressureless sintering

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of TiO₂ and sintering temperature on the structure and mechanical properties of Al₂O₃-based porous ceramic materials fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques. The results showed that a small addition of TiO₂ (less than 1% by weight) increased the sintering ability of Al₂O₃ and significantly improved the strength of the samples at sintering temperatures below 1500^oC. When sintered at 1400^oC, the porosity decreased sharply from 82.54 to 64.11%, while compressive strength increased dramatically from 1.35 to 13.73 MPa as the TiO₂
content increased from 0 to 1 wt.%. As the temperature increased from 1400 to 1500^oC, the porosity of all porous ceramic samples decreased significantly, while their strength increased remarkably. The porosity decreased from 64.11 to 55.74%, and the compressive strength increased from 13.73 to 17.53 MPa with the TiO₂ addition of 1 wt%. These study results indicated that TiO₂ played a crucial role in the improvement of the mechanical properties of Al₂O₃- based porous ceramic.