Abstract

In this study, we investigate the effect of MgO additions on phases formation and densification behavior of cordierite ceramics prepared by mixing Algerian kaolinite with synthetic magnesia. Cordierite (2MgO.2Al₂O₃.5SiO₂), an aluminum magnesium silicate material, is one of the most attractive advanced ceramic materials for functional applications. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) were carried out on sample starting from room temperature to 1400 C, at heating rates from 10 to 50 C min^-1 were used to analyze sintering behavior, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) was used in order to determining the phases and their transformations, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) complementary techniques were used to to study the microstructure of cordierite. The results were supplemented by measured the hardness test and bulk density with sintering tempratures. The activation energies of -cordierite formation calculated by Kissinger method from non-isothermal data were around 577 and 910 kJ.mol^-1 and were around 577 and 1125 kJ.mol^-1 for α-cordierite formation with excess of MgO additive from 00 to 08 Wt. %.

Keywords: Cordierite, Differential thermal analysis, kaolinite, magnesia.