Microstructural Characterization and Thermal Properties of Aluminium Titanate/Porcelain Ceramic Matrix Composites

Porcelain represents one of the most complex ceramics, formulated from a mix of clay, feldspar and quartz, sintered at temperatures between 1200 degrees C and 1400 degrees C, to form a glass-ceramic composite. Aluminium titanate (Al2TiO5) exhibits extremely good thermal shock resistance and low thermal conductivity, coupled with good chemical resistance in molten metals. In the present work, aluminium titanate/porcelain ceramics composites with different percentages of Al2TiO5 was prepared using powder metallurgy techniques. The microstructural, mechanical and thermal properties were characterized using XRD, SEM, dilatometer and a hardness meter. Thermal shock resistance behaviour under water quenching of the as-prepared ceramics was also evaluated. The results have revealed that the addition of aluminium titanate to porcelain matrix improves the properties of the aluminium titanate/porcelain ceramics.