Development of Transparent MgAl2O4 Spinel Ceramics

Abstract

The present paper summarizes the technology and basic process for fabricating transparent ceramic MgAl2O4 spinel and introduces a scalable production technique. Fully transparent polycrystalline spinel has been prepared by combined vacuum sintering, hot-pressing, sintering in H2 atmosphere and hot isostatic pressing(HIP). The optical transmittance of the specimen sintered at 1500°C following HIP at 1800°C was nearly the same as that of single crystal spinel. When radiated by γ-ray and X- ray, colorless spinel became brown due to V-type color centers, which decreased its transmittance. On the other hand, the spinel ceramics’ resistance to radiation improved by doping CeO2.