Microstructure homogeneity control in spark plasma sintering of Al2O3 ceramics

Homogeneous microstructure control in the SPS (spark plasma sintering) sintered big size Al2O3 ceramic was realized by the synergy effect of grain boundary tailoring and proper pressure profile design. Two-step pressure profile itself did not show any efficient densification enhancement if no grain boundary modifier MgO added. The two-step pressure profile can effectively reduce average grain size and grain size difference over the sintered specimen, while MgO doping can reduce the average grain size in the whole sintered samples. Finally, a general strategy to overcome the intrinsic temperature gradient in SPS is suggested.