IBUpart® Al2O3 150 is a high surface area aluminum oxide; produced with many years of experience in thermal process engineering at IBU-tec: High purity, homogeneous particle size distribution in the sub-micro range, high sintering densities and low residual porosity stand out as properties. It can be used, for example, as a catalyst carrier and for the production of ceramic components, but also as a suspension for the fine polishing of metallic surfaces, glasses and silicon.
High purities of > 99 % alumina
High hardness – use as grinding and polishing agent
Alumina as catalyst carrier
Ceramic coating
Ceramic resistant to acids
| IBUpart® Al2O3 20 | IBUpart® Al2O3 150 | |
| Specific surface area | 20 ± 2 m2/g | 150 ± 5 m2/g |
| Primary particle size | < 10.0 µm | 20 – 40 nm |
| Agglomerate size | / | 0.3 – 0.5 µm |
| Purity | > 99 wt.-% | > 99 wt.-% |
| Bulk density | 700 – 800 kg/m3 | 100 – 200 kg/m3 |
| Crystallographic phase | y -Al2O 3 | mixed phases |
| Possible application |
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| Datasheet | Download | Download |
Alumina – Manufacturing Experience
The properties of the finished aluminum oxide ceramics are strongly dependent on the purity of the raw materials and the manufacturing process. The greater the purity – the higher the quality in the final product. It is therefore crucial to avoid impurities, which can make production very costly. IBU-tec has many years of experience in this process.
Production, Properties and Use of Alumina
Alumina (Al2O3) can occur in several modifications, such as cubic gamma Al2O3 (often called alumina), trigonal alpha Al₂O₃ (corundum), likewise the hydroxides Al(OH)3 (gibbsite, bayerite, ATH) and AlO(OH) (boehmite, diaspor) also occur.
To produce alumina, bauxite is processed in caustic soda, resulting in aluminum hydroxide. The water is removed from this by sintering or calcining in rotary kilns and aluminum oxide is obtained (Smelter Grade Alumina: SGA).
Alumina has the greatest economic importance as an intermediate product for the production of aluminum; about 90% of global production is used for this purpose. However, its applications are far more diverse, extending beyond aluminum production and relying primarily on its great hardness and resistance to acids when alumina is used to make ceramics. These properties also make alumina ideal as an abrasive or polishing agent.
For corrosion protection of metallic components, coatings of aluminum oxide powders are applied by thermal spray processes. Alumina is also used in the additive manufacturing of ceramic workpieces (3D printing). Hard sintered aluminum oxide (corundum) can be used as refractory material in thermal equipment.
Alumina ceramic is characterized by excellent friction and wear behavior, and its dielectric strength is outstanding. Therefore, it is often used as technical ceramics in mechanical engineering, where hardness and protection against wear and corrosion are crucial. Since the melting temperature is over 2,000 °C, applications with temperatures of up to 1,900 °C can be realized.
However, alumina can also be used in the chemical industry as an adsorbent, as a catalyst support or as a catalyst itself.
High-purity nanoscale aluminum oxides are used as a component of slurries for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductors.
Alumina ceramics are also used in electrical engineering due to their properties: Because of their low dielectric loss factor, they are used as dielectrics in high-frequency technology.