Abstract
A simple process was developed to produce transparent MgO ceramics. In this process, magnesium hydroxide was initially precipitated by means of dropping an ammonium solution to a magnesium chloride solution in a glass (pyrex) beaker at about 100°C. The resulting precipitate was kept in the aqueous solution for 3h at the same temperature. Sintering was carried out at 1600°C for 2h in vacuum. Aging the precipitate at about 100°C is a key step of the present method, in which silica and boron oxide were dissolved from the used beaker, and then major part of them were adsorbed or absorbed by the precipitate concerned. Coexistence of silica and boron oxide was one of the necessary conditions to produce high transparent MgO ceramics.
