Alumina - The Oxide That Makes The Difference

Alumina ceramics are basically ceramics with high proportion of Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3). This is one of the most abundantly available natural form of ceramic material. About 90% of the chemical composition of Alumina ceramic consists of Aluminium Oxide while second major ingredient is Silicon Oxide (SiO2). The combination of these two elements forms a ceramic material known as alumina.

Alumina is pale white in colour. Commercially available in the form of hard and large sized balls, Alumina can be imparted with any desired shape and form depending upon its application. The colour, texture, surface coating, hardness, etc. of Alumina can be managed by adding additional elements to the basic structure of Alumina. These additive elements constitute less than 1-2% of the entire composition of ceramic, but have a long lasting effect on the material properties.

Some of the common additives in Alumina include Iron Oxide (Fe2O3), Titanium Oxide (TiO2), Calcium Oxide (CaO), Magnesium Oxide (MgO), Potassium Oxide (K2O), Sodium Oxide (Na2O), etc. Though these additives are small in quantity, the end cost of the ceramic depends largely on the additives and the process of addition. The chemical reactions governing the bonding and crystallization of Alumina greatly vary at varying temperatures.

Alumina is an extremely hard ceramic. It has high electrical resistance and is a bad conductor of electricity. Also, it is heat resistant and can sustain high temperatures seamlessly for long durations. The density of molecules is high; as a result the density of alumina is very high. Due to the compact molecules, Alumina gets a robust shape and form. Alumina has a high toughness quotient, as a result once it gets a specific shape, it does not deform. Also, it is highly corrosion and erosion resistant.

One of the most common applications of Alumina is in the form of grinding media. Due to its extreme hardness, the varying sizes of Alumina balls are used in the form of crushing agents for cement, paints, powder, pharmaceuticals, etc. Due to the non-corrosion and non-reaction capabilities of Alumina, it is an ideal choice as a crushing media.

Alumina is also used exclusively in electrical insulators of all sizes and shapes. The external surface of Alumina is coated with reflective material to neglect the effect of sunlight. These insulators are huge in size and are used for high tension electricity transmissions. The insulators have to sustain high electrical charges and due to the flow of electricity, high heat is generated. The Alumina Ceramics sustain this heat and electricity charges and is ideal for insulations.

The surface of alumina is extremely smooth. Due to this, Alumina is used extensively in bearing operations. Alumina materials can sustain high end manufacturing processes like precision grinding, laser machining, complex tooling and machining operations, etc. Machine-ability using these operations makes Alumina a good material for component manufacturing. Also, the tensile and compressive ability of Alumina makes it ideal for manufacturing processes.

There are different experiments on combinations of Alumina in various parts of the world. Scientists are researching the impact of additives that may improve the likelihood of using alumina in Biosciences and Space research applications. In Material Sciences and Metallurgical applications, Alumina is formed in various shapes to witness its ability to replace the existing materials in automobile and manufacturing industry as a sustainable material. Find more alumina products from website: https://highaluminarefractory.com/.