The effect of oriented a-Al 2 O 3 platelets on densification and shrinkage behavior of tape-cast a-Al 2 O 3 during solid-state sintering was studied using dilatometric sintering shrinkage experiments and microstructural characterization. Platelet-free alumina samples exhibit isotropic shrinkage with an B17% linear final shrinkage. The addition of platelets retards densification, and results in anisotropic shrinkage. Initially during sintering, shrinkage is isotropic for platelet-containing systems; however, it becomes highly anisotropic by inhibition of shrinkage in the platelet orientation direction. In the 10 vol% platelet-containing system, shrinkage was B12% in the casting and the transverse directions and B20% in the direction perpendicular to the casting plane. J ournal

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