Fabrication of highly porous mullite microspheres via oil-drop molding accompanied by freeze casting

Abstract Porous mullite microspheres with a highly open porosity and average diameter of more than 800 µm were fabricated via an oil-drop molding method accompanied by a freeze casting process. After sintering, a highly porous structure was formed due to interlocking whisker-shaped mullite grains and formation of interconnected skeletons during the freeze-casting process. Additionally, it was found that a high porosity and large pore size in the microspheres green bodies are favorable for the synthesis of mullite whiskers with high aspect ratio.