Ceramic composites from chemically derived magnesium- aluminate and zirconium oxide

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A heat densifiable composition comprised essentially of:, a) a chemically derived densifiably reactive spinel, b) one or more zirconium oxide phases c) one or more zirconium oxide phase-, stabilizing agents and/or, d) refractory oxides, carbides or nitrides, as stress-absorbing property modifiers; wherein the densifiable reactive spinel is derived by decomposition of a precursor produced by the chemical precipitation or crystallization of the desired spinel forming metals from an intimate mixture of at least one soluble metal salt. Processes for preparing the composition are also disclosed.