Alumina Ceramic

Alumina ceramic—also known as alumina oxide ceramic, ceramic alumina, or Al₂O₃ ceramic—is one of the most important and versatile advanced technical ceramics in modern engineering. With its exceptional combination of mechanical strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, thermal stability, and electrical insulation, alumina is a preferred material for demanding applications where metals and polymers fail.

At Great Ceramic, we leverage decades of precision ceramic machining expertise to deliver high-purity alumina ceramics with consistent quality, dimensional accuracy, and outstanding performance. Our production capabilities cover everything from alumina ceramic tubes and rods to intricate alumina ceramic parts for highly specialized industries.

Alumina Ceramic Properties & Advantages

The alumina ceramic material properties set it apart as a leader in industrial materials:

Alumina ceramic hardness reaches up to 1700 HV on the Vickers scale—over 15 times harder than carbon steel—providing superior wear and abrasion resistance.

  • High alumina ceramic thermal conductivity (up to 30 W/m·K) combined with low thermal expansion ensures stability under extreme heat.

  • Service temperature capabilities exceed 1600°C in continuous use.

Exceptional dielectric strength (14–18 kV/mm), making alumina ceramics ideal for high-voltage and high-frequency electronic components.

Highly resistant to acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, ensuring longevity in aggressive environments.

Maintains structural integrity in high-precision assemblies, even under thermal cycling or mechanical stress.

Is Alumina Ceramic Durable?

The question "Is alumina ceramic durable?" is frequently asked by engineers and buyers alike. The answer is a resounding yes.
Thanks to its exceptional hardness, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature stability, alumina ceramics outperform metals, plastics, and glass in longevity—particularly in abrasive, high-load, and thermally extreme conditions.

Alumina Ceramic Applications

Alumina ceramics are known for their exceptional hardness and wear resistance, excellent corrosion resistance and electrical insulation properties, and can maintain stable mechanical and chemical properties under high temperatures and harsh environments. At the same time, due to their good processability and high cost-effectiveness, they are widely used in electronics, machinery, chemicals and other industries.

Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Automotive
Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Industrial Machinery
Applications of Advanced Ceramics in General Manufacturing
Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Chemical, Plastics & Rubber
Advanced ceramic components for aerospace
Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Semiconductor & Electronic
echnical ceramics used in medical devices
Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Oil & Gas Industry

Forms and Grades of Alumina Ceramics

Great Ceramic offers custom-engineered alumina ceramics in a variety of grades and forms to match the needs of different industries:

Alumina Ceramic Material Properties – Technical Data

The following only lists the performance parameters of the three most common aluminum oxide ceramics. Normally, alumina ceramics are composed of these types.

Mechanical

Properties Unit 95%Al2O3 99%Al2O3 99.5%Al2O3
Colour —— White Yellow Yellow
Density g/cm³ 3.7 3.85 3.9
Hardness GPa 13.7 15.2 15.7
Compressive Strength MPa 2000 2160 2350
Flexural Strength MPa 280 310 350
Fracture Toughness MPa・m1/2 3~4 3~4 4.5
Modulus of Elasticity GPa 320 360 370
Poissons Ratio —— 0.23 0.23 0.23

Thermal

Properties Unit 95%Al2O3 99%Al2O3 99.5%Al2O3
Maximum Use Temperature ℃(No load) 1650 1650 1650
Thermal Conductivity @ 20°C W/(m・K) 24 29 32
Thermal Expansion a at 20–400°C 1 x 10-6/°C 7~8 7~8 7~8
Specific Heat J/(kg・K) 780 790 780
Thermal Shock Resistance ℃(Put in water) 200 200 200

Electrical

Properties Unit 95%Al2O3 99%Al2O3 99.5%Al2O3
Dielectric Constant 1MHz 9.4 9.9 9.9
Dielectric Strength V/m 15 x 106 15 x 106 15 x 106
Dielectric Loss 1MHz 4 x 10-4 4 x 10-4 4 x 10-4
Volume Resistivity @ 25°C Ω・cm >1014 >1014 >1014
Volume Resistivity @ 500°C Ω・cm >108 >108 >1010

*The values are typical material properties and may vary according to products configuration and manufacturing process. For more details, Please feel free to contact us.

Alumina Ceramic Parts Application Cases

Alumina ceramic's outstanding combination of high hardness, excellent electrical insulation, thermal stability, and chemical resistance makes it a versatile material for numerous industrial applications. Below are some of the most common and impactful use cases of alumina ceramic parts across various sectors:

  • Electronic substrates
  • Electrical insulators
  • Metalized components
  • Feedthroughs
  • Seals
  • Bushings
  • Ceramic tubes
  • Wear parts
  • Metering valve
  • Various equipment parts
Alumina ceramic metering valve
Alumina ceramic electronic substrate
Metallized alumina ceramic components
Alumina ceramic plunger
Alumina Ceramic Bolt
Alumina ceramic threaded pipe
Surface metallized ceramic tube
High hardness alumina ceramic wear parts

Alumina Ceramic Machining Capabilities

Great Ceramic offers alumina materials with purities ranging from 92% to 99.9%, with 99% purity being the most commonly used. Alumina can be formed using a variety of methods, including injection molding, compression molding, isostatic pressing, slip casting, and extrusion.

Sintering is a critical step in the manufacture of alumina ceramics. High-temperature sintering densifies the material, but it also shrinks by approximately 20%. This shrinkage makes it difficult to achieve precise final dimensions during green processing, necessitating post-sintering precision machining to achieve exacting dimensional and shape requirements. However, densely sintered alumina ceramics are extremely hard, requiring precision grinding and shaping using superhard tools such as diamond grinding.

At Great Ceramic, we have a wide range of precision ceramic processing equipment to meet the demands of manufacturing complex structures and high-precision parts.

In addition, Great Ceramic can create strong bonds between alumina and metals or other ceramic materials through metallization and brazing techniques, expanding its applications in electronics, machinery, and medical fields.

With advanced processing equipment and rich technical accumulation, we are able to provide customers with full-process solutions from material selection, design optimization to customized processing, helping to achieve high-quality alumina ceramic products.

Precision Ceramic CNC Machining

CNC milling, turning, and grinding to micron-level tolerances.

Ceramic Grinding & Polishing

Surface polishing for smooth finishes and optical-grade surfaces.

Technical Ceramic Laser Cutting

Laser drilling and cutting for complex geometries.

Ceramic and Metal Brazed Assemblies

Metallization (Mo/Mn, W) for ceramic-to-metal brazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

While ceramics are inherently brittle, alumina offers a balanced combination of hardness and fracture toughness, enabling it to perform reliably in high-stress applications.

Yes, with specialized diamond tools and CNC machinery, we can achieve tight tolerances and complex geometries.

Alumina excels in hardness, wear resistance, and electrical insulation, while zirconia offers higher fracture toughness and impact resistance.

Yes. Thanks to its high hardness, chemical stability, and wear resistance, alumina ceramic can last for years in extreme environments.

Typically between 15–20 GPa, making it one of the hardest engineering materials.

Around 20–30 W/m·K, depending on purity and density.

Yes, but it requires specialized diamond grinding and CNC machining techniques due to its extreme hardness.

They are used as insulating components in high-temperature furnaces, thermocouples, and electrical applications.

Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing Expert

Why Choose Great Ceramic for Alumina Ceramics

  • We have extensive experience in precision manufacturing alumina ceramic tubes, parts, and custom designs.
  • We can customize materials and shapes to meet specific application requirements.
  • We serve customers in North America, Europe, and Asia with short lead times.
  • Our technical team will assist you in optimizing part design for functionality and manufacturability.

Contact Us Today

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