EURO CERAMICS VIII, PTS 1-3, vol.264-268, pp.1107-1110, 2004 (SCI-Expanded)
alpha-SiAlON is able to accommodate cations into its crystal structure if the cations are sufficiently small in size, thus helping to reduce the volume of the remnant grain boundary phase after processing. Lutetium with an ionic radius of 0.85 Angstrom was the smallest 3+ cation which can be incorporated into alpha-SiAlON structure and the Sc+3 cation, with an ionic radius of 0.73 Angstrom was accepted too small to form an alpha-SiAlON.