Effect of Talc in Mixtures with Fly Ash on Sintering Crystalline Phases and Porosity of Mullite-Cordierite Ceramics

The effect of talc in the two mixtures with the representative sample of fly ash (Class F) was investigated at sintering temperatures of 1000, 1100, and 1200 °C. X-ray diffraction, thermal DTA/TGA, and mercury intrusion porosimetry analyses were applied to characterize the mineral phase transformation of talc and fly ash in cordierite ceramic. The influence of iron oxide on talc transformation to Fe-enstatite was verified by the simulated molecular models and calculated XRD patterns and the assumption of Fe-cordierite crystallization was confirmed. The fly ash mixtures with 10 mass% of talc in comparison with 30 mass% of talc at 1000 °C and 1100 °C showed higher linear shrinkage and lower porosity. At a temperature of 1200 °C, sintering expansion and larger pores in mullite and cordierite ceramics also containing sapphirine and osumilite demonstrated that magnesium in FA and Tc structure did not react with the other constituents to form crystalline cordierite. The ceramics produced in the present work using fly ash and talc have similar properties to the commercial ceramics produced at sintering temperatures higher than 1250 °C.