Synthesis of Industrial Ceramic (Cordierite) from Iraqi Raw Materials Through Solid-State Sintering Method

Abstract

This study uses Iraqi raw materials (Western Desert) which include: Urdhuma silica sand, Duekhla kaolinitic claystone, flint clay, porcelanite, and karst bauxite, alongside other materials (pure silica created as by-product of Qaim phosphate manufacturing processes.), amorphous silica (silica from rice husk ash), Mg (OH)2, and MgCO3. The raw materials have been crushed and milled into sizes smaller than 45µ except the silica sand and kaolin that have been miled into different sizes 20 and 45 µ. Twenty-seven mixtures of different proportions were prepared from the above-mentioned materials. Ninety-two disk samples were formed by semi-dry pressing using the pressing force of 1000 kg/cm2. Those test samples were dried and fired at the temperatures of 1100, 1200, and 1300 ̊°C with temperature rises 50 °C/h and the soaking time of 2 h. X-ray diffraction of those samples shows a difference in the mineral structure according to the firing temperature and the chemical composition of the mixtures. The samples containing the mixtures of 70% Kaolin, 5% pure silica (Qaim), and 25% Magnesite that were fried at the temperature of 1300 ̊°C entirely consist of Cordierite.

Assessment of Clay Deposits Quality from East of Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq for some Ceramic Industries

“…and Awadh and Awad (2021) manufactured perforated and ordinary bricks using injana claystone in Karbala-Najaf plateau in the middle of Iraq, the researchers concluded that Injana claystone is suitable for such purposes. Najim and Yousif (2021) studied the Synthesis of Industrial Ceramic (Cordierite) from Iraqi Raw Materials Through Solid-State Sintering Method in Western Dessert used XRD for measuring the best mixture for preparing cordierite ceramics. The main objectives of this study are to find out the validity of the Injana, Mukdadiyah, and Bai Hassan formations, with Quaternary deposits for the ceramic industries, through the evaluation of the potential uses of their clays in some ceramic industries using mineralogical, chemical, and physical properties.…”