Preparation and Properties of High Sound-Absorbing Porous Ceramics Reinforced by In Situ Mullite Whisker from Construction Waste

Abstract

Porous sound absorption ceramic is one of the most promising materials for effectively eliminating noise pollution. However, its high production cost and low mechanical strength limit its practical applications. In this work, low-cost and in situ mullite whisker-reinforced porous sound-absorbing ceramics were prepared using recyclable construction waste and Al2O3 powder as the main raw materials, and AlF3 and CeO2 as the additives, respectively. The effects of CeO2 content, AlF3 content, and sintering temperature on the microstructure and properties of the porous ceramics were systematically investigated. The results showed that a small amount of CeO2 significantly promoted the growth of elongated mullite crystals in the resultant porous ceramics, decreased the growth temperature of the mullite whiskers, and significantly increased the biaxial flexural strength. When 2 wt.% CeO2 and 12 wt.% AlF3 were added to the system, mullite whiskers were successfully obtained at a sintering temperature of 1300 °C for 1 h, which exhibited excellent properties, including an open porosity of 56.4 ± 0.6%, an average pore size of 1.32–2.54 μm, a biaxial flexural strength of 23.7 ± 0.9 MPa, and a sound absorption coefficient of >0.8 at 800–4000 Hz.