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Influence of excess alumina on mullite synthesized from pyrophyllite by spark plasma sintering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2020

Rasidi Sule Open the ORCID record for Rasidi Sule [Opens in a new window]  and
Iakovos Sigalas
Rasidi Sule*
Affiliation:
Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering & Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Science Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa
Iakovos Sigalas
Affiliation:
DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Strong Materials, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
*
*E-mail: suler@unisa.ac.za
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Abstract

The influence of excess Al2O3 on 3:2 mullite produced from α-Al2O3 and pyrophyllite powder was examined. A mixture consisting of 28 wt.% dehydroxylated pyrophyllite and 72 wt.% α-Al2O3 was milled in an attrition mill. The milled powders were sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1600°C for 10, 20 and 30 min. Subsequently, the samples were heated at 1350°C for 2 h to determine the influence of the excess Al2O3 on the microstructure. No glassy phase was detected in the sample containing 72 wt.% Al2O3 and sintered at 1600°C for 20 min. The sample with 72 wt.% Al2O3 had greater hardness and fracture toughness compared to 3:2 mullite. The greatest hardness and fracture toughness of 12.43 GPa and 2.71 MPa m–0.5, respectively, were obtained in the sample containing 72 wt.% Al2O3 sintered at 1600°C for 20 min.

Keywords

mechanical propertiesmicrostructurepyrophyllitesynthesis
Type
Review Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 166 - 171
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 2020

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Huaming Yang

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