• Composites Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.31-36
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• 2000

The effect of several important processing variables was investigated on formation of porous mullite with acicular microstructure. Experimental results demonstrated that microstructure and porosity of porous mullite are depending on concentration of $AlF_3$, holding time at $900^{\circ}C$ and starting material. Acicular mullite was developed by increasing amount of $AlF_3$ and holding time at $900^{\circ}C$. Mullite began to be formed at $1200^{\circ}C$ and the resultant microstructure sintered at this temperature is similar to those at higher temperatures. Porosity increases with increase in amounts of $AlF_3$ and holding time at $900^{\circ}C$ . Therefore, it is found that microstructure of reaction-sintered porous mullite can be controlled by governing the amount of $AlF_3$ and holding time at $900^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 2004

Mullite whiskers were synthesized using $Al(OH)_3$, amorphous $SiO_2$ and $AIF_3$ as starting materials by a vapor-solid reaction at relatively low temperature of $1100^{\circ}C$. Leaflet Fluorotopaz was observed for the specimen heat-treated at $800^{\circ}C$. Fluorotopaz was decomposed at $1000^{\circ}C$ and only mullite phase was observed for the specimen sintered at $1100^{\circ}C$ and above. It was found that the synthesized mullite at $1200^{\circ}C$ had grown to [001] direction and side planes were the {110}. The distance of (110} plane was $5.34^{\AA}C$. The amounts of $Al_2O_3$ in mullite was 73.56(1.39)wt%.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.4 s.287
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• pp.235-241
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• 2006

Mullite short fibers have been fabricated by adapting the Kneading-Drying-Calcination (KDC) process and characterized. The effect of the addition of foaming agent and calcination temperature on the formation of mullite fibers from coal fly ash, was examined. In the present work, ammonium alum $NH_4Al(SO_4)_2\;12H_2O$ synthesized trom coal fly ash and sodium phosphate $Na_2HPO_4\;2H_2O$ were used as foaming agents. After calcination at $1300^{\circ}C$ for 10 h and then etching with 20% HF solution at $50^{\circ}C$ for 5 h using a microwave heating source, the alumina-deficient $(AI_2O_3/SiO_2$ = 1.13, molar ratio) orthorhombic mullite fibers with a width of ${\sim}0.8mm$ (aspect ratio >30), were prepared from the coal fly ash with $AI_2O_3/SiO_2$ = 0.32, molar ratio by the addition of $NH_4AI(SO_4)_2\;12H_2O$, and with further addition of 2 wt% sodium phosphate. The excessive addition of sodium phosphate rather decreased the formation of mullite fibers, possibly due to the large amount of liquid phase prior to mullitization reaction.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.630-634
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• 1999

Porous mullites were fabricated using $Al(OH)_3$ and amorphous $SiO_2$ as starting materials by reaction sintering method. The molar ratios of alumina and silica varied from stoichiometric mullite composition to silica-rich and alumina-rich compositions. $AlF_3$ of 0, 1, 5, 10 wt% wad added to each composition, and the effects of composition and the additive for the formation of mullite were examined. The temperature of mullite formation decreased as the amount of $AlF_3$ increased, and themullite phase was formed in the stoichiometric composition in addition of 5 wt% $AlF_3$ at $1250^{\circ}C$ and porous whiskered mullite were synthesized in the sample sintered at $1300^{\circ}C$ and higher temperature. The effect of temperature on the mullite formation was not observed for the sample with 5 wt% or higher content of $AlF_3$, and the body showed little contraction after sintering.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.719-724
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• 2018

Cordierite composed of an alumina-silica-magnesia compound has a low coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE) and excellent thermal shock resistance. It also has a low dielectric constant and high electrical insulation. However, due to low mechanical strength, it is limited for use in a ceramic heater. In this study, $ZrO_2$ is added to an 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite composition, and the effect of $ZrO_2$ addition on the mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance is investigated. With an increasing addition of $ZrO_2$, cordierite-mullite formed $ZrO_2$, $ZrSiO_4$ and spinel phases. With sintering conducted at $1400^{\circ}C$ with the addition of 5 wt% $ZrO_2$ to 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite, the most dense microstructure forms along with an excellent mechanical strength with a 3-point flexural strength of 238MPa. When this composition is quenched in water at ${\Delta}T=400^{\circ}C$, the 3-point flexural strength is maintained. Moreover, when this composition is cooled from $800^{\circ}C$ to air, the 3-point flexural strength is maintained even after 100 cycles. In addition, the CTE is measured as $3.00{\times}10^{-6}{\cdot}K^{-1}$ at $1000^{\circ}C$. Therefore, 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite with 5 wt% $ZrO_2$ is considered to be appropriate as material for a ceramic heater.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2003

The effects of the salt and the precursor pH on the synthesizing behavior and the morphology of mullite have been studied. Two kinds of mullite precursor sols were prepared by the dissolution of two kinds of salt (aluminum nitrate enneahydrate, Al($NO_3$)$_3$ㆍ$9H_2$O; type I and aluminum sulfate 14∼18 water, (SO$Al_4$)$_3$$\cdot$$14∼18H_2$O; type II) into the mixture of colloidal silica sol, respectively. Precursor pH of the sols was controlled to the acidic (pH= 1.5∼2) and basic (pH= 8.5∼9) conditions. The co-products with nitrate and sulfate were completely eliminated at $500^{\circ}C$ and $850^{\circ}C$, respectively, which was confirmed by TG/DTA results. The synthesizing temperature of mullite phase was found to be above $1200^{\circ}C$ for pH= 1.5∼2 and above $1300^{\circ}C$ for pH= 8.5∼9 in type I. However, in type II, the synthesizing temperature of mullite was decreased to $850^{\circ}C$ for pH= 1.5∼2 and $1100^{\circ}C$ for pH= 8.5∼9. The grain size of the mullite synthesized at pH= 8.5∼9 was larger than that at pH= 1.5∼2 in overall heat-treated temperatures, showing smaller grain size in type II. Aspect ratio of the mullite grains was more increased at pH= 1.5∼2 than pH= 8.5∼9 in type I, showing similar aspect ratio at both pH conditions in type II. It was found that the synthesizing temperature and grain size were predominantly governed by the initial precursor pH and decomposition of the salt, with minor effect on the grain morphology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.119.2-119
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• 2000

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.239-245
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• 2001

$Al/Al_2O_3$composites were prepared from the reaction of mullite preforms and amorphous silica in aluminum melt at $1100^{\circ}C$ for 5 hrs. The chemical reaction between mullite preform and aluminum melt has formed the interconnected microstructure. The metal content of $Al/Al_2O_3$composite was controlled with the variable of the apparent porosity according to the sintering temperature of mullite preforms; $1600^{\circ}C$,$ 1625^{\circ}C$, $1650^{\circ}C$ and $1700^{\circ}C$, the mechanical properties of $Al/Al_2O_3$composite were investigated upon the content of Al. The mullite preform sintered above $1600^{\circ}C$ showed the chemical reaction with the penetrated Al melt, but the mullite sintered at $1600^{\circ}C$ didnt react with aluminum melt owing to the non-wetting of Al melt/mullite preform. The influences of penetration direction on the mechanical properties of composites were considered with the two different models of the perpendicular pattern and the parallel pattern to the direction of Al melt penetration. With the increase of Al metal penetration content, the fracture strength of $Al/Al_2O_3$composite decreased and the fracture toughness of composite increased. The microstructure of $Al/Al_2O_3$composite was determined by the direction of metal penetration, but the fracture strength and fracture toughness of composite didnt show the dependence on metal penetration direction.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2015

The machinability of materials is an important factor in engineering applications. Many ceramic components that have complex shapes require machining, typically using diamond tools, which leads to high production cost. Machinable ceramics containing h-BN have recently been developed, but these materials are very expensive because of high cost of raw materials and machining. Therefore the development of low-cost machinable ceramics is desirable. In this study, mullite-$ZrO_2$ ceramics were prepared additions of $Al_2TiO_5$. $ZrSiO_4$, $Al_2O_3$, and $Al_2TiO_5$ powders mixed at various molar ratios with sintering at 1400, 1500, and $1600^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. Phase formation and microstructure of the sintered ceramics were observed by XRD and SEM, respectively. The machinability of each specimen was tested using the micro-hole machining method. The machinability results show that the ceramics sintered at temperatures over $1500^{\circ}C$ can be used as good low-cost machinable mullite-$ZrO_2-Al_2TiO_5$ ceramics.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.909-914
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• 1995

From alumina powder and TEOS, $\alpha$-Al2O3/SiO2 composite powder for reaction-sintered mullite was synthesized by heterogeneous coagulation and surface coating, and investigated the mullitization reaction and sintering behavor of these powders. In $\alpha$-Al2O3/SiO2 composite powder prepared by heterogeneous coagulation, each alumina particles were surrounded by silica particles of 50~60 nm in size. And the alumina particles in composite powder prepared by surface coating were coated by uniform silica layer with thickness of 50 nm. In both methods, mullitization reaction was completed at 1$650^{\circ}C$ for 3h, and specimen sintered above 145$0^{\circ}C$ was about 95% fo the theoretical relative density. Mullite grains formed from the reaction with composite powders showed spherical shape with a size of 1~2${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$.