magnesium aluminate (MgAl 2 O 4) spinel with grain sizes ranging from 3.7 to 80 nm has
been synthesized by environmentally controlled pressure assisted sintering. In this study, we
investigated the microstructure and grain size dependence of the mechanical properties of
nanocrystalline MgAl 2 O 4 by performing transmission electron microscopy,
nanoindentation, uniaxial micropillar compression, and micro-cantilever bending. Electron …