Preparation of lightweight porcelains using various types of pore-forming additives and their mechanical properties

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop lightweight porcelain using pore-forming additives, such as organic microspheres, organic hollow microspheres and inorganic hollow microspheres, and to evaluate the effect of pores on the mechanical properties. Spherical pores below 100 µm were created in the fired body having porosity up to 45% depending on the amount and type of additives. When a large amount of organic spheres were added, many pores connected each other and open porosity increased. On the other hand, inorganic hollow microsphere were isolated in the fired body so that an open porosity was extremely smaller than a total porosity. Effects of a porosity P on the relative Young’s modulus E/E₀ and relative fracture toughness K_IC/K_IC0 were evaluated and the correlations were in good agreement with the equations E/E₀ = (1 − P)^1.88, K_IC/K_IC0 = (1 − P)^0.94(1 − P^2/3)^0.5, respectively.