Morphological and structural characterization of MgAl2O4 spinel

Magnesium aluminate has the spinel structure along with good mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties. Magnesium aluminate has a wide range of applications including refractory ceramics, optically transparent ceramic windows, and armors. Its low dielectric permeability and low loss tangent enable its applications for integrated electronic devices, as well. In this paper, MgO and Al2O3 powders were mixed in a one-to-one molar ratio and calcined at temperatures ranging from 1500 to 1800oC to produce phase pure spinel. Thereafter, pellets were crushed and treated in a planetary ball mill for 60 min to obtain a fine powder. All powders were examined for phase composition, crystal structure, and morphology. The obtained results showed that by increasing the temperature, samples with higher density were synthesized. Milling for 1 h led to formation of larger particles, but finer powders after milling. XRPD and Raman spectroscopy showed disorder in the crystal structure after milling.