SEM, EDS, FTIR, & XRD Characterization of Cordierite Ceramics Mechanically Synthesized from Silica and Kaolin Reinforced with Magnesia (MgO)

ABSTRACT Cordierite (2MgO.2Al2O) is an essential engineering ceramic material/component utilized for various industrial applications (kiln slabs, electronic materials, honeycomb ceramics, automobile exhausts, etc.) due to such properties as low thermal expansion coefficient, excellent thermal shock resistance, dielectric constant, etc. It can be fabricated from various sources of aluminosilicate raw materials. In this work, silica and kaolin were used as raw materials to mechanochemical synthesize cordierite in two separate experiments using MgO as an additive. In experiment A, 10g of SiO2 and 12g of alumina were mixed and added 2g of MgO while in B, 10.2g of kaolin, 4g of alumina, and 4g of MgO were combined. The specimens from each of the experiments were mechanically treated by placing them in a planetary ball grinding mill for 25 minutes to increase the reactivity of the samples. The mechanically treated samples were then subsequently taken to a muffle furnace for sintering at a temperature range between 10000C and 12000C at a constant rate of 100C//minute. The sintered samples were then processed to make them suitable for EDS, FTIR, and XRD characterizations. The XRD, EDS, and FTIR revealed the crystalline phase, chemical components, and functional groups of cordierite materials respectively. Keywords: Cordierite; characterization; magnesia; silica; experiment