  In Al2O3 suspensions, depending on the experimental conditions very different
microstructures can be found, comprising fluid like suspensions, a repulsive
structure, and a clustered microstructure. For technical processing in
ceramics, the knowledge of the microstructure is of importance, since it
essentially determines the stability of a workpiece to be produced. To
enlighten this topic, we investigate these suspensions under shear by means of
simulations. We observe cluster formation on two different length scales: the
distance of nearest neighbors and on the length scale of the system size. We
find that the clustering behavior does not depend on the length scale of
observation. If inter-particle interactions are not attractive the particles
form layers in the shear flow. The results are summarized in a stability
diagram.
