Synthesis and sintering of magnesium aluminate spinel after chemical lixiviation

• Grant number: 18/06206-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: August 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Gilberto José Pereira
• Grantee: Rayanne Araujo Andrade
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário FEI (UNIFEI). Campus de São Bernardo do Campo. São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The study of sintering adittives is very important to understand the mechanisms which can decrease sintering temperatures, specially in important technological materials, such as Magnesium Aluminate Spinel. These additives usually are introduced during synthesis step. In this work, nanometer powders of magnesium aluminate will be synthesized by reverse coprecipitation. Pure and doped Ca2 + doped powders will be obtained after calcination at 800 ° C. Then, the powders will be subjected to chemical lixiviation process, which is able to remove possible carbon contaminations (common in nanostructured oxides), and some segregated additive on nanopowders surfaces. The powders will be characterized by X-ray diffraction and specific area, and the sintering will be characterized by dilatometry and final density. In addition to obtaining important information about the effect of lixiviation on sintering, this work will investigate the evolution of the macroscopic characteristics of these powders. This project has an important educational aspect, once allows the student to have contact with traditional and advanced techniques of ceramic processing, and dealing with the improvements of the variables, which determine some properties of ceramic materials.