Ceramics calcining

Ceramics. Calcined aluminas are used in both electronic and stmctural ceramics (see Advanced ceramics). Electronic appHcations are dominant in the United States and Japan whereas mechanical appHcations are predominant in Europe (1). Specialty electronic integrated circuit packages generally use the low soda and thermally reactive aluminas. 

Powder morphology was investigated using a transmission electron microscope (TEM, Model JEM-IOOCXII). Crystallite size of the powders and grain size of Nd YAG ceramics calcined at different temperatures were calculaied by X-ray diffraction (XRD, model D/maxrA, using nickel-filtered Cu-Ka radiation) patterns from the Scherrer s equation. Microstructures of the fractured and the thermal etched mirror-polished surfaces of Nd YAG specimens were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Model S-4800). Densities of the samples were measured by the Archimedes draining method. 

ALUMMUMCOMPOUNDS - ALUMINIUMOXIDE(ALUMINA) - CALCINED, TABULAR, AND ALUMINATE CEPffiNTS] (Vol 2) -ceramics as [CERAMICS AS ELECTRICAL MATERIALS] (Vol5)... 

Powder Preparation. The goal in powder preparation is to achieve a ceramic powder which yields a product satisfying specified performance standards. Examples of the most important powder preparation methods for electronic ceramics include mixing/calcination, coprecipitation from solvents, hydrothermal processing, and metal organic decomposition. The trend in powder synthesis is toward powders having particle sizes less than 1 p.m and Httie or no hard agglomerates for enhanced reactivity and uniformity. Examples of the four basic methods are presented in Table 2 for the preparation of BaTiO powder. Reviews of these synthesis techniques can be found in the Hterature (2,5). 

Specialty Aluminas. Process control (qv) teclmiques permit production of calcined specialty aluminas ha nng controlled median particle sizes differentiated by about 0.5 ]lm. Tliis broad selection enables closer shrinkage control of high tech ceramic parts. Production of pure 99.99% -AI2O2 powder from alkoxide precursors (see Alkoxides, metal), apparently in spherical form, offers the potential of satisfying the most advanced appUcations for calcined aluminas requiring tolerances of 0.1% shrinkage. 

Calcined alumina markets consume slightly less than 50% of the specialty alumina chemicals production (1—8,20,22—115). Worldwide usage is estimated to be about 50% for refractories (qv), 20% for abrasives, and 25% for ceramics (qv). Calcined aluminas are also used in the manufacture of tabular alumina and calcium aluminate cements (CAC). Quantities are estimated to be over 200,000 and 100,000 t, respectively (7). 

T. J. Carbone, "Production Processes, Properties, and Apphcations for Calcined in High-Purity Aluminas," in L. D. Hart, ed., Jilumina Chemicals Science and Technology Handbook, The American Ceramic Society, Columbus, Ohio, 1990. 

Gibbsite is aii important technical product and world production, predominantly by the Bayer process, is more than 50 million metric tons aimuaHy. Alost (90%) is calcined to alumina [1344-28-1 j, Al202, to be used for aluminum production. Tlie remainder is used by the chemical industry as filler for paper, plastics, rubber, and as the starting material for the preparation of various aluminum compounds, alumina ceramics, refractories, polishing products, catalysts, and catalyst supports. 

Cements and Ceramics. Refractory cements and ceramics (qv) are prepared from slurries of siUca, 2irconia, alumina, or magnesia and a prehydroly2ed siUcate (see Cement). Calcining at 1000°C yields cured refractory shapes (48,49). 

Ceramic-grade beryllium oxide has also been manufactured by a process wherein organic chelating agents (qv) were added to the filtered beryllium sulfate solution. Beryllium hydroxide is then precipitated using ammonium hydroxide, filtered, and carefully calcined to obtain a high purity beryllium oxide powder. 

Cobalt pigments are usually produced by mixing salts or oxides and calcining at temperatures of 1100—1300°C. The calcined product is then milled to a fine powder. In ceramics, the final color of the pigment maybe quite different after the clay is fired. The materials used for the production of ceramic pigments are... 

Alumina produced by the Bayer process is precipitated and then calcined [Krawczyk, Ceramic Forum International, 67(7-8), 342-8 (1990)]. Aggregates are typically 20 to 70 [Lm, and have to be reduced. The standard product is typically made in continuous dry ball or vibra-toiy mills to give a product d o size of 3-7 [Lm, 98 percent finer than 45 [Lm. The mills are lined with wear-resistant alumina blocks, and balls or cylinders are used with an alumina content of 80-92 percent. The products containing up to 96 percent AI9O3 are used for bricks, kiln furniture, grinding balls and liners, high voltage insulators, catalyst carriers, etc. 

Batch Furnaces This type of furnace is employed mainly for the heat treatment of metals and for the drying and calcination or ceramic articles. In the chemical process industry, batch furnaces may be used for the same purposes as batch-tray and truck dryers when the drying or process temperature exceeds 600 K (620°F). They are employed also for small-batch calcinations, thermal decompositions, and other chemical reactions which, on a larger scale, are performed in rotary Idlns, hearth furnaces, and shaft furnaces. 

A crystalline form of free silica, extremely hard and inert chemically very resistant to heat. Quartz in refractory bricks and amorphous silica in diatomaceous earth are altered to cristobalite when exposed to high temperatures (calcined). Cristobalite is extensively used in precision casting by the hot wax process, dental laboratory work, and certain speciality ceramics. 

Calcination is performed in crucibles made of platinum or related metals. Tantalum or niobium oxide can be successfully used in the manufacturing of such crucibles. Frolov et al. [505, 506] developed a method for coating various ceramic materials with tantalum or niobium oxide using an optical furnace. 

The co-precipitation technique starts with an aqueous solution of nitrates, carbonates, chlorides, oxychlorides, etc., which is added to a pH-controlled solution of NH4OH, allowing the hydroxides to precipitate immediately. This method requires water-soluble precursors and insoluble hydroxides as a final product. The hydroxides are filtered and rinsed with water when chlorides are employed as starting materials and chlorine is not desired in the final product. After drying the filtrate, it is calcined and sintered. This method is being applied very successfully for oxygen-ion conducting zirconia ceramics [30],... 

Eubank, W. R. (1951). Calcination studies of magnesium oxides. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 34, 225-9. 

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