Forming alumina (Al2O3) by micro-FAST

The Alumina (Al2O3), also known as Aluminium oxide, has a good thermal conductivity, but it is an electrical insulator. The Alumina is being used widely in the industry. Several research the sintering of Alumina using the conventional hot pressing process or spark plasma sintering (SPS). However, these methods are and have their own limits and disadvantages, such as long process chains and low efficiency with the processes and, rarely developed for the forming of miniature and micro-scale components. In this study conducted in the report. A new process has been used adapted from the electric-current activated sintering techniques (FAST) and it is been combined with micro-forming technology and called the (Micro-FAST). The Alumina powders were loaded directly into the die, followed by electric-sintering under certain pressure. In this paper Ø4.00 mm×4.00 mm and Ø2.00 mm×2.00 mm cylinder solid samples were produced. This experiment was conducted by use of a Gleeble 3800 thermal-mechanical simulator. Several properties of the solid samples, such as relative density, ESM and EDS, were examined, and these showed good results have been obtained.