Aluminates

Abstract

Aluminates form in binary systems with alkali, alkaline earth or rare-earth oxides and share the high melting point and resistance to chemical attack of the pure Al2O3 end-member. This means that these ceramics have a variety of applications as cements, castable ceramics, bioceramics, and electroceramics. Calcium aluminate cements are used for example in specialist applications as diverse as lining sewers and as dental restoratives. Ceramics in aluminate systems are usually formed from cubic crystal systems and this includes spinel and garnet. Rare earth aluminate garnets include the phase YAG (yttrium aluminium garnet), which is an important laser host when doped with Nd(III) and more recently Yb(III). Associated applications include applications as scintillators and phosphors. Aluminate glasses are transparent in the infrared region and these too have specialist applications, although the glass-forming ability is poor. Recently, rare earth aluminate glasses have been developed commercially in optical applications as alternatives to sapphire for use in, for example, infrared windows. Aluminates are refractory materials and their synthesis often simply involves solid-state growth of mixtures of purified oxides. Alternative synthesis routes are also used in specialist applications, for example in production of materials with controlled porosity and these invariably involve sol-gel methods. For glasses, one notable, commercially important method of production is container-less synthesis, which is necessary because of the non-Arrhenius (fragile) viscosity of aluminate liquids. © 2008 Springer-Verlag US.