Effect of Pyrophyllite on the Mullite Generation in Ternary Porcelain System

Promoting of mullite generation has been studied by replacing kaolinite with pyrophyllite because of mullite has excellent strength and thermal shock resistance. Effects of promoting of mullite generation and vitrification by replacing kaolinite with pyrophyllite on the mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. Addition of 45-55% pyrophyllite as a replacement of kaolinite (pyrophyllite (45-55%)-feldspar (30%)-clay (20%)) could vitrify samples (water absorption: 0.05%, bulk density: 2.66g/cm3) and improve the strength (122MPa) of samples fired at 1280°C. In ternary porcelain system, pyrophyllite-feldspar-clay, mullite generation of samples with 50% pyrophyllite reaches about 78.7% and thermal expansion coefficient is 5.4×10-6/K. Beyond 50% pyrophyllite addition, quartz and cristobalite phases increased. And thermal expansion coefficient of samples decreased with increasing of mullite amount.