Mullite ceramics were fabricated according to the recently developed reaction‐bonded Al 2 O 3 (RBAO) technology. Green compacts consisting of mechanically alloyed Al, SiC, and Al 2 O 3 were heat‐treated in two steps. During the first hold at 1200°C, Al and SiC were oxidized to form Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 . On further heating, mullite was formed which then sintered during the second hold at 1550°C. All reactions involved in the process were associated with volume expansions that almost compensated for the shrinkage on sintering. Processing details and microstructure development are discussed. Reaction‐bonded mullite ceramics exhibit high fracture strength, e.g., 290 MPa at a density of 97% of theoretical density.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Wu et al. (1991) studied this question.