**5. Conclusion**

The introduction of isothermal treatments in the heating curve at temperatures below the beginning of an accentuated shrinkage process influenced the development of the final microstructure, promoting a microstructural refinement of particles compacts.

The heating curve control is a simple and efficient method to control ceramic microstructure, although it is difficult to achieve an optimum condition for accessing a successful regime. The main characteristics of the heating curve control are: nanostructured ceramics can be obtained with nearly full densities; it is not necessary sophisticated and unavailable equipment, like those used for spark plasma sinterig and hot isostatic pressing; and and it is possible to achieve fully dense structures at lower temperatures.

The heating curve control, combined with the presence of nanoparticles inclusions can further optimize the microstructure control. Fine grains in the sintering induce a pinning effect on grain boundary migration and the degree of grain growth during sintering is effectively reduced.
