Technical Description:
Aluminum Oxide Micron Powder (Al₂O₃, 99.5+%, 8-32 µm) is a high-purity powder made of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), also known as alumina, with a purity of 99.5% or higher. The powder has an average particle size range of 8-32 micrometers (µm), which is considered fine to medium-sized. This size range offers a balance between surface area and flowability, making it suitable for various industrial applications that require high strength, wear resistance, and thermal stability.
- Chemical Composition:
- Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃) content: 99.5%+, ensuring the powder is of high purity, which is essential for applications in advanced ceramics, coatings, and catalysts where material consistency and performance are critical.
- Particle Size:
- The powder has a particle size range of 8-32 µm, which provides a good balance between surface area and flowability. This range is ideal for applications that require medium-sized particles, ensuring good handling properties while maintaining sufficient surface area for enhanced reactivity, sintering, or coating processes.
- Shape:
- The powder particles are typically irregular in shape, although some may be slightly spherical depending on the production method. Irregular shapes are beneficial in processes such as sintering or in applications requiring mechanical interlocking to improve material strength and density.
- Purity:
- With 99.5%+ purity, the powder is largely free from contaminants, ensuring that it provides consistent and reliable material performance in high-precision industries such as aerospace, electronics, and ceramics.
Applications:
- Abrasives:
- Aluminum oxide is widely used in the production of abrasive materials such as grinding wheels, sandpapers, and polishing compounds. The 8-32 µm powder is ideal for precision polishing and grinding of metals, ceramics, and other hard materials, thanks to its high hardness and durability.
- Advanced Ceramics:
- Alumina powder is used in the production of advanced ceramics that require high strength, wear resistance, and thermal stability. The fine-to-medium particle size is ideal for creating components such as ceramic bearings, insulating parts, high-temperature crucibles, and sintered ceramics for industries like aerospace, automotive, and electronics.
- Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing):
- Aluminum oxide powder with the 8-32 µm particle size is used in additive manufacturing processes such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), and Electron Beam Melting (EBM). This size range is suitable for producing complex geometries with high mechanical properties and high-temperature resistance for industries like aerospace, automotive, and medical.
- Catalysts and Catalyst Supports:
- Alumina is a commonly used material for catalyst supports in a variety of chemical reactions, especially in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The high surface area of the 8-32 µm alumina powder provides excellent support for catalytic reactions, helping to increase the efficiency and selectivity of processes like hydrogenation, alkylation, and reforming.
- Thermal Management:
- Aluminum oxide has excellent thermal conductivity and thermal stability, making it ideal for use in thermal management applications. The alumina powder is used in the production of heat sinks, thermal interface materials (TIMs), and thermal coatings to dissipate heat effectively in electronics, LED lighting, and power devices, preventing overheating of sensitive components.
- Electrical Insulation:
- Aluminum oxide is an excellent electrical insulator, and is often used in electrical components such as substrates, insulating coatings, and microelectronic devices. The fine 8-32 µm aluminum oxide powder is used in creating insulating layers for high-voltage components, circuit boards, and power electronics.
- Coatings and Surface Treatments:
- Alumina powder is used to create abrasive coatings, corrosion-resistant coatings, and high-temperature coatings. It is often applied through thermal spraying or plasma spraying methods to create wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings for turbine blades, gas turbines, and engine components that are exposed to high-temperature environments.
- Hydrogen Storage:
- Alumina-based materials are used in hydrogen storage systems due to their ability to efficiently absorb hydrogen. Aluminum oxide powder is used in metal hydride systems for hydrogen fuel cells and energy storage solutions. These systems can store hydrogen gas efficiently, which is critical for clean energy applications and fuel cell technology.
- Biomedical Applications:
- Alumina is used in the biomedical field for the production of dental implants, joint replacements, and surgical tools due to its biocompatibility, strength, and wear resistance. Aluminum oxide powder is used to create smooth, durable, and long-lasting surfaces for medical implants, ensuring high mechanical properties and resistance to wear and corrosion in the body.
- Paints and Pigments:
- Alumina powder is used in paints, coatings, and pigments to enhance opacity, durability, and fire resistance. The powder is used as a pigment in white paints and pigments, as well as in fire-resistant paints and coatings for construction, automotive, and marine applications.
- Filtration and Separation:
- Alumina powder is used in filtration and separation applications. The high surface area of aluminum oxide makes it effective in adsorbing impurities, making it useful in water purification, oil refining, and chemical separations in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and environmental industries.
- Superconductors:
- Alumina is used in the production of high-temperature superconductors (HTS). Aluminum oxide is incorporated into ceramic superconducting materials such as yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO), which are used in applications like MRI and particle accelerators. The fine powder helps create these superconducting materials that are essential for scientific and medical technologies.
Summary of Benefits:
- High Purity: The 99.5%+ purity ensures minimal contamination, making it ideal for high-performance applications in electronics, coatings, and medical devices.
- Particle Size Range (8-32 µm): The 8-32 µm particle size provides an optimal balance of surface area and flowability, making it suitable for sintering, powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and coating applications.
- Spherical and Irregular Shape: The powder particles promote good flowability, packing density, and uniform deposition, which is essential for processes like powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and thermal spraying.
- Versatility: The powder is highly versatile, with applications across a wide range of industries including abrasives, ceramics, catalysts, electronics, thermal management, and biomedical devices.
Conclusion:
Aluminum Oxide Micron Powder (99.5+, 8-32 µm) is a high-performance material with excellent properties such as strength, thermal stability, abrasion resistance, and electrical insulation. Its medium particle size, high purity, and versatility make it ideal for a wide range of industrial applications, including abrasives, ceramics, catalysts, electronics, thermal management, and biomedical devices. The powder plays a crucial role in producing durable, high-performance components and materials that are essential for high-tech and industrial applications.