In this work, spodumene/mullite ceramics with low thermal expansion were successfully prepared from spodumene, quartz, talc, and clay. The effects of spodumene content and sintering temperature on the mechanical properties of spodumene/mullite ceramics were investigated. The formed phases were then detected by X‐ray diffraction analysis and the microstructures of the sintered bodies were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The interaction effects of the spodumene content and sintering temperature on the apparent porosity and bulk density were studied by response surface methodology. The results demonstrate that an appropriate sintering temperature and spodumene content can promote densification, improve the mechanical properties, and reduce the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of spodumene/mullite ceramics. At the spodumene content of 40 wt.%, the sintering temperature of 1270°C, and the holding time of 90 min, the bending strength was 60.45 MPa, the CTE was 1.73 × 10–6/°C (α[25–650°C] < 2 × 10–6/°C), the bulk density was 2.28 g cm‐3, and the apparent porosity was 0.43%. Therefore, this study was of guiding significance for reducing the production cost of spodumene low thermal expansion ceramics and improving product quality.
In this paper, spodumene/mullite ceramics with good thermal shock resistance were prepared from spodumene, quartz, talc, and clay when the sintering temperature was 1270℃. In the sintering process, the effect of holding time on densification, mechanical properties, phase transformation, microstructure, and thermal shock resistance of the composite ceramics were investigated. The phase transition and microstructures of the ceramics were identified via X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interaction between holding time and bulk density was studied by response surface methodology. The result show that an appropriate holding time can improve the mechanical properties of spodumene/mullite ceramics. When the holding time was kept 90 min, the spodumene/mullite ceramics with the apparent porosity was .47%, the bulk density was 2.28 g/cm3, and bending strength was 63.46 MPa. Furthermore, since no cracks formed after 20 thermal shock cycles for the composite ceramics with a bending strength decreasing rate of 12.66%, it is revealed that spodumene/mullite ceramics exhibit good thermal shock resistance. Therefore, this study can provide beneficial guidance for both industrial production and energy conservation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.