Sintering Behavior of Highly Porous Ceramic Materials Based on the Al2O3–MgO System

— We have studied the sintering of ceramic samples based on magnesium oxide, alumina, and magnesium aluminate spinel in order to assess the conceptual feasibility of producing ceramic foam materials in the Al 2 O 3 –MgO system and examined the effect of sintering aids on the sintering process. The range of firing temperatures has been found that ensures the preparation of materials with an open cellular pore structure: the optimal temperatures are from 1600 to 1700°C. The porosity of the synthesized materials is up to 85% and their compressive strength reaches 1.4 MPa.