Influences of composition of starting powders and sintering temperature on the pore size distribution of porous corundum-mullite ceramics

Porous corundum-mullite ceramics were prepared by an in-situ decomposition pore-forming technique. Starting powders were mixtures of milled Al(OH)3 and microsilica and were formed into oblong samples with a length of 100mm and a square cross-section with edge size of 20mm. The samples were heated at 1300?C, 1400?C, 1500?C or 1600?C for 3h in air atmosphere, respectively. Apparent porosity was detected by Archimedes? Principle with water as a medium. Pore size distribution and the volume percentage of micropores were measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry. The results show that the pore morphology parameters in the samples depend on four factors: particle size distribution of starting powders, decomposition of Al(OH)3, the expansion caused by mullite and sintering. The optimum mode which has a higher apparent porosity up to 42.3%, well-distributed pores and more microsize pores up to 16.3% is sample No.3 and the most apposite sintering temperature of this sample is 1500?C.