• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2014

The Mg-enriched magnesium aluminum silicate (MAS) glass is known for its higher mechanical strength and chemical resistance. Among such glasses, cordierite ($Mg_2Al_4Si_5O_{18}$) is well known to have a low thermal expansion and low melting point. Polycrystalline engineering ceramics such as alumina can be strengthened by a surface modification with low thermal expansion materials. The present study involves the synthesis of cordierite by a sol-gel process and investigates the effect of glass penetration on the surface of alumina. The cordierite powders were prepared from $Al(OC_3H_7)_3$, $Mg(OC_2H_5)_2$ and tetraethyl orthosilicate by hydrolysis and condensation reaction. The cordierite powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, Rigaku), scanning electron microscope (SEM, JEOL: JSM-5610), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS, JEOL: JSM-5610), and universal testing machine (UTM, INSTRON). The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the synthesized particles were ${\mu}$-cordierite calcined at $1100^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. The shape of synthesized cordierite was changed from ${\mu}$-cordierite to ${\alpha}$-cordierite with increasing calcination temperature. Synthesized cordierite was used for surface modification of alumina. Cordierite powders penetrated deeply into the alumina sample along grain boundaries with increasing temperature. The results of surface modification tests showed that the strength of the prepared alumina sample increased after surface modification. The strength of a surface modified with synthesized cordierite increased the most, to about 134.6MPa.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.594-600
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• 1995

Spherical alumina gel powders were produced by hydrolysis of aluminum sec-butoxide (Al(sec-OC4H9)3) in a n-octanol/acetonitrile mixed solvent. The enlargement of particle size was induced by increasing HPC (hydroypropylcellulose) concentration (0.005, 0.1, and 0.05 g/ι) and emulsion-state aging time (10 min and 360 min). Mean particle sizes of dried alumina gel powders increased from 1.4 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 3.5${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ at 10-min emulsion-state aging time and from 1.9${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 4.1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ at 360-min emulsion-state aging time as HPC concentration increased from 0.005 g/ι to 0.05 g/ι. At the same HPC concentration, particle size of dried alumina gel powder increased with increasing of emulsion-state aging time from 10 min to 360 min. The increase in the average particle size of dried alumina gel powder with increase in HPC concentration was interpreted as the enlargement of particles from alkoxide emulsions unprotected by HPC. The produced dried gel powder calcined at 115$0^{\circ}C$ for one hour transformed to $\alpha$-alumina.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.207-214
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• 1993

Glass-ceramic monoliths with an ultra-low thermal expansion coefficient have been synthesized by the sol-gel technique using metal alkoxides as starting materials and dimethyl formamide as a drying control chemical additive. The ternary gels: $Li_2O\cdot Al_2O_3\cdot 2, 4 or $6SiO_2$ were obtained by hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of metal alkoxides of silicon, aluminum and lithium. To produce cylindrical crack-free gel monoliths, excess water was used to the starting solutions and drying rates were controlled precisely to prevent cracking. In conversion process ,${\beta}$-eucryptite, $Li_2O\cdot Al_2O_3\cdot 3SiO_2$ and P-spodumene with ,${\beta}$-quartz solid solution phase were obtained by heating at the range of 750 ~$1000^{\circ}C$. Above $800^{\circ}C$, the ,${\beta}$-spodumene phase increased while ,${\beta}$-eucryptite phase decreased. The thermal expansion coefficient of the crystallized specimens were -15~ $+5{\times}{10^{-7}}/{\circ}C$ over the temperature range from room temperature to $600^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.175-183
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• 2024

Geopolymer, also known as alkali aluminum silicate, is used as a substitute for Portland cement, and it is also used as a binder because of its good adhesive properties and heat resistance. Since Davidovits developed Geopolymer matrix composites (GMCs) based on the binder properties of geopolymer, they have been utilized as flame exhaust ducts and aircraft fire protection materials. Geopolymer structures are formed through hydrolysis and dehydration reactions, and their physical properties can be influenced by reaction conditions such as concentration, reaction time, and temperature. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of silica size and aging time on the mechanical properties of composites. Commercial water glass and kaolin were used to synthesize geopolymers, and two types of silica powder were added to increase the silicon content. Using carbon fiber mats, a fiber-reinforced composite material was fabricated using the hand lay-up method. Spectroscopy was used to confirm polymerization, aging effects, and heat treatment, and composite materials were used to measure flexural strength. As a result, it was confirmed that the longer time aging and use of nano-sized silica particles were helpful in improving the mechanical properties of the geopolymer matrix composite.

• Clean Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2024

In this study, the mechanical stability of red mud was improved for its commercial use as a catalyst to effectively decompose HFC-134a, one of the seven major greenhouse gases. Red mud is an industrial waste discharged from aluminum production, but it can be used for the decomposition of HFC-134a. Red mud can be manufactured into a catalyst via the crushing-preparative-compression molding-firing process, and it is possible to improve the catalyst performance and secure mechanical stability through calcination. In order to determine the optimal heat treatment conditions, pellet-shaped compressed red mud samples were calcined at 300, 600, 800 ℃ using a muffle furnace for 5 hours. The mechanical stability was confirmed by the weight loss rate before and after ultra-sonication after the catalyst was immersed in distilled water. The catalyst calcined at 800 ℃ (RM 800) was found to have the best mechanical stability as well as the most catalytic activity. The catalyst performance and durability tests that were performed for 100 hours using the RM 800 catalyst showed thatmore than 99% of 1 mol% HFC-134a was degraded at 650 ℃, and no degradation in catalytic activity was observed. XRD analysis showed tri-calcium aluminate and gehlenite crystalline phases, which enhance mechanical strength and catalytic activity due to the interaction of Ca, Si, and Al after heat treatment at 800 ℃. SEM/EDS analysis of the durability tested catalysts showed no losses in active substances or shape changes due to HFC-134a abasement. Through this research, it is expected that red mud can be commercialized as a catalyst for waste refrigerant treatment due to its high economic feasibility, high decomposition efficiency and mechanical stability.