TRANSPARENT SPINEL CERAMICS, METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND OPTICAL MATERIAL USING THE TRANSPARENT SPINEL CERAMICS

摘要

Disclosed is a spinel ceramics which is different from a conventional translucent ceramic in its concept and has extremely high optical properties. Specifically disclosed is a transparent spinel ceramics characterized by: (I) having a substantially spinel cubic crystal as the crystal structure; (2) having an average crystal particle diameter of 5 to 250 µm; and (3) when formed into a sample having a thickness of 10 mm, having an in-line transmittance of 70% or more at a base line of light transmission at wavelengths of 600 nm and 3200 nm in a thickness-wise direction of the sample. Also disclosed is a method for producing the transparent spinel ceramics.