Preparation and study of ceramic and glass-ceramic materials in the Y2O3-Al2O3 system: influence of particle size on the resulting microstructure

Investigators: M. Majerová, A. Prnová, J. Valúchová, M. Michálková, B. Pecušová, M. Žitňan, D. Galusek

Ceramic and glass-ceramic materials in the binary system Y2O3-Al2O3 (yttrium aluminum garnet Y3Al5O12 – YAG; yttrium aluminum perovskite, YAlO3-YAP, and yttrium aluminum melilite, Y2Al4O-YAM) are being intensively studied due to their excellent optical and mechanical properties. A special group is formed by so-called YAG/Al2O3 materials with a eutectic microstructure, which are characterized by hardness, fracture toughness, and thermal and chemical resistance comparable to crystalline aluminates. The preparation of both types of materials (crystalline aluminates and eutectic ceramics) is often associated with the need to use high temperatures (⁓2000°C) and expensive and technically demanding equipment. One technically and economically interesting solution for the preparation of larger sample pieces appears to be a combination of flame synthesis and hot pressing. The aim of this work was to optimize the grinding of glass microspheres after flame synthesis in order to achieve a fine eutectic microstructure of sintered bodies. The results confirmed that the adjustment of the size of glass microspheres is one of the key parameters during the preparation of sintered bodies with a eutectic structure.

Distribution of the size of glass microspheres prepared by flame synthesis and grinding under various conditions (a) grinding ball diameter 5 mm, rotation speed 200 rpm – M1, (b) grinding bead diameter 11 mm, rotation speed 350 rpm – M2, (c) grinding bead diameter 20 mm, rotation speed 350 rpm –M3

SEM images of samples prepared by hot pressing after the grinding experiment (a) M1, (b) M2, (c) M3 (grinding time 6 hours).

Related projects: VEGA 1/0141/21.
The result was achieved in cooperation with the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín.

Publication in CC journal:

• MAJEROVÁ, Melinda** – PRNOVÁ, Anna – VALÚCHOVÁ, Jana – MICHÁLKOVÁ, Monika – PECUŠOVÁ, B. – ŽITŇAN, M. – KLEMENT, R. – GALUSEK, Dušan. Hot press sintering of Y2O3-Al2O3 glasses: Impact of particle size on thermal behaviour, sintering ability and mechanical properties of sintered bodies. In Heliyon, 2025, vol. 11, no. 1, art. no. e41260. (2024: 3.6 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 0.644 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2405-8440. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41260