0000000000285516
AUTHOR
Andrés G. Castillo Sanz
XRD Line Broadening Studies on Mullite
An X-ray diffraction microstructural study on 110, 220, 001 and 111 peaks has been performed on mullite in the temperature range of primary mullite formation in order to monitor nucleation and growth process. Considering the crystallinity of the starting kaolinites, a greater disorder of the kaolinite has been found to enhance the mullite formation. Isothermal growth is related to a decrease in the Al 2 O 3 content of mullite.
Microstructural analysis (Voigt function method) of mullite in whiteware triaxial porcelains
Triaxial porcelains were produced of two whiteware blends containing kaolin B (of “high-crystallinity” kaolinite) or halloysitic kaolin M (also with “low-crystallinity” kaolinite) in two different industrial firing cycles (fast or slow) with final temperatures 1270 °C, 1300 °C, 1320 °C and 1340 °C. The crystalline microstructure of mullite in all porcelain samples was studied by X-ray diffraction through analysing 110 and 001 reflections using the Voigt function method and by optical and electron microscopy. Mean crystallite sizes were determined independently for both 110 and 001 diffraction directions as principal semi-quantitative characteristics for all sixteen specimens. They illustrat…