Fabrication of Porous Mullite Ceramics with Spinel Addition

Abstract

Porous mullite ceramics with Mg-Al spinel addition were fabricated using spherical PMMA particles as a pore former, and their pore size, porosity and microstructure were investigated. Bulk density and open porosity of mullite ceramics without spinel addition were 1.6-1.7g/cm³ and 46-50%, respectively. Open porosity of mullite ceramics with spinel addition was around 5% using PMMA with the size of 30μm. When PMMA with the size of 60 and 90μm were used, open porosity of mullite ceramics with spinel addition was 21 and 28%, respectively. These values were much lower than that of mullite ceramics without spinel addition. These results could be explained by the difference in their sinterability.