Sintering of cordierite based materials

The sintering behavior of cordierite based materials obtained from powders with different granulometric characteristics (single fractions and binary granulometric mixtures) has been studied. Commercially available cordierite powder was used to prepare these materials by attrition milling, uniaxial pressing and sintering at 1450 degreesC. The employed cordierite powders were classified as coarse, medium and fine single granulometric fractions. Binary mixtures of them with 30, 50 and 70 wt.% of the smaller component were prepared. Densification degree and kinetics of sintering were studied through density measurements and microstructural analysis (SEM). Phases were determined by XRD and FTIR techniques and examining the isothermal section at the Al2O3-SiO2-MgO system at sintering temperature. The contact angle of the glassy phase present at this temperature was measured using the heating microscopy technique. The characteristics of the starting powders and the particle packing were correlated to the developed microstructures and a sintering mechanism was proposed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd and Techna S.H. All rights reserved.