Effect of Ca and Mg on the properties of foamed ceramics prepared with multisolid waste

With vanadium tailings and lead-zinc tailings as the main raw materials, gold tailings, waste glass powder, other fluxes and SiC foaming agents are added to prepare foamed ceramics. The effects of Ca and Mg in the fluxes of calcite, talc, and dolomite on the appearance, pore size, porosity, bulk density, and compressive strength of the samples were investigated and the mechanisms of the effects were analyzed. The XRD results showed that the sample consisted primarily of quartz, albite, augite, and a small amount of corundum. Calcite favors the formation of the augite phase, talc favors the formation of the albite phase, and dolomite combines the advantages of both. The formation of albite reduces the viscosity of the melt, and the formation of augite greatly enhances the strength of foamed ceramics. It has been shown that by adding 8% dolomite, a foaming ceramic with a bulk density of .561 g/cm³, a porosity of 62.77% and a compressive strength of 10.823 MPa can be prepared, resulting in a low-cost, lightweight and high strength foamed ceramic partition.     

Recycling of extracted titanium slag and gold tailings for preparation of self-glazed ceramic foams

Self-glazed ceramic foams were successfully synthesized via powder sintering method, using extracted titanium slag (ETS) and gold tailings (GT) as raw materials without adding any sintering aids and foaming agents. Influence of ETS addition and sintering temperature on crystal phase evolution, physical–mechanical properties, and micro-morphology of ceramic foams was systematically studied. Results indicated that products sintered at 1180 °C with 30 wt% ETS and 70 wt% GT showed the best performance, i.e., bulk density of 1.66 g cm^?3, flexural strength of 20.4 MPa, water absorption of 0.14%, open porosity of 0.23%, and glaze Vickers hardness of 6.5 GPa. Moreover, it was observed that there existed strong correlation between bulk density and bending strength. Self-glazed ceramic foams developed in this study are expected to be used as building envelope materials and provide new ideas for effective reuse of other similar solid wastes.     

Effect of ceramic matrix compositions on pore structure and properties of lightweight foamed ceramics

Foamed ceramics were prepared with polishing slag and shale as raw materials. According to the phase diagram of CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂, a reasonable composition system was designed to obtain foamed ceramics with good property. The related properties of foamed ceramics were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy disperse spectroscopy, etc. The results indicate that, when the amount of polishing slag and shale are 30% and 60% respectively, foamed ceramic with bulk density of 0.225 g·cm⁻³ has good compressive strength and thermal conductivity, which are 1.95 MPa and 0.065 W/m·K, respectively. The element compositions of the matrix materials affect the melt viscosity, resulting in glass phase separation and the crystallization. The main phases of the foamed ceramics are anorthite CaSi₂Al₂O₈, spinel MgAl₂O₄ and spinel Mg(Al, Fe)₂O₄. The internal relationship among melt, pores, and crystal precipitates was discussed.     

Investigating the effect of SPRM on mechanical strength and thermal conductivity of highly porous alumina ceramics

For recycling waste refractory materials in metallurgical industry, porous alumina ceramics were prepared via pore forming agent method from α-Al₂O₃ powder and slide plate renewable material. Effects of slide plate renewable material (SPRM) on densification, mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, phase composition and microstructure of the porous alumina ceramics were investigated. The results showed that SPRM effectively affected physical and thermal properties of the porous ceramics. With the increase of SPRM, apparent porosity of the ceramic materials firstly increased and then decreased, which brought an opposite change for the bulk density and thermal conductivity values, whereas the bending strength didn’t decrease obviously. The optimum sample A2 with 50 wt% SPRM introducing sintered at 1500 °C obtained the best properties. The water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, bending strength and thermal conductivity of the sample were 31.7%, 62.8%, 1.71 g/cm³, 47.1 ± 3.7 MPa and 1.73 W/m K, respectively. XRD analysis indicated that a small quantity of silicon carbide and graphite in SPRM have been oxidized to SiO₂ during the firing process, resulting in rising the porous microstructures. SEM micrographs illustrated that rod-like mullite grains combined with plate-like corundum grains to endow the samples with high bending strength. This study was intended to confirm the preparation of porous alumina ceramics with high porosity, good mechanical properties and low thermal conductivity by using SPRM as pore forming additive.     

Preparation and characterization of porous anorthite ceramics from red mud and fly ash

The porous anorthite ceramics with high porosity, good mechanical strength and low heat conductivity were prepared using red mud and fly ash as raw materials via the pore forming method. The effects of sintering temperature and fly ash on phase evolution, densification, compressive strength, thermal conductivity and microstructure of the ceramic materials were investigated. The results showed that the compressive strength of the porous ceramics had an obvious improvement with the increase in fly ash, and the densification and heat conductivity decreased firstly and then increased. In particular, specimen S2 containing 30 wt% red mud and 40 wt% fly ash sintered at 1150°C had the better performances. It had the water absorption of 18.18%, open porosity of 38.52%, bulk density of 1.29 g/cm³, compressive strength of 42.46 MPa, and heat conductivity of 1.24 W/m·K. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that mullite, anorthite, α-quartz, and diopside ferrian were the dominant phases in the specimens. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs illustrated that plenty of open pores with strip shape and closed pores with axiolitic shape existed in the specimens. Furthermore, the existence of mullite could prevent crack propagation to enhance the energy of inter-granular fracture. It endowed the porous anorthite ceramics with high porosity, good compressive strength, and low heat conductivity.     

High gas permeability and directional channels of mullite porous ceramics prepared by pectin-based freeze-drying method

New gel system for preparing mullite porous ceramics by gel-casting freeze-drying was proposed, using pectin as gel source and alumina and silica as raw materials. Directional channels were formed due to sublimation of water during freeze-drying and decomposition of pectin during high temperature sintering to prepare porous mullite ceramic membranes. Effects of solid content on the properties of mullite ceramics in terms of phase composition, microstructure, apparent porosity, bulk density, pore size distribution, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, pressure drop, and gas permeability were investigated. It was found that prepared porous mullite possessed high apparent porosity (56.04%–75.34%), low bulk density (.77–1.37 g/cm³), uniform pore size distribution, relatively high compressive strength (.61–3.03 MPa), low thermal conductivity (.224–.329 W/(m·K)), high gas permeability coefficient (1.11 × 10⁻¹⁰–4.73 × 10⁻¹¹ m²), and gas permeance (2.18 × 10⁻²–9.32 × 10⁻³ mol⋅m⁻²⋅s⁻¹⋅Pa⁻¹). These properties make prepared lightweight mullite ceramic membranes promising for application in high temperature flue gas filtration. Proposed gel system is expected to provide a new route to prepare porous ceramics with high porosity and directional channels.     

以硼砂为助熔剂使用含钛高炉渣制备发泡陶瓷

以紫色页岩、含钛高炉渣为原料,硼砂为助熔剂,碳化硅为发泡剂制备发泡陶瓷,通过对气孔率、闭孔率、孔径分布、表观密度、抗压强度、导热系数进行测量,研究了原料配比和硼砂添加量对发泡陶瓷气孔结构和物理性能的影响。结果显示:当原料中含钛高炉渣比例增加时,试样的平均孔径增加,气孔均匀性下降;硼砂的加入会使试样抗压强度降低,孔隙率增大,导热系数变小。当发泡陶瓷原料配比(质量分数)为高炉渣30%,页岩70%,添加4%的硼砂和0.2%的碳化硅时,制备出的发泡陶瓷的表观密度为0.374 g·cm^-3,导热系数为0.121 W·m^-1·K^-1,抗压强度为2.59 MPa,满足建筑外墙保温发泡陶瓷的要求。发泡陶瓷主要晶相为斜长石,同时伴有部分透辉石、石英和少量的铁板钛矿。     

Enhancing thermal insulation and mechanical strength of porous ceramic through size-graded MA Hollow Spheres

In this study, a series of porous ceramics were prepared using different ratios of small and large size MA hollow ceramic spheres as pore-forming agents, and their thermal insulation properties were investigated. The results showed that increasing the proportion of small size hollow ceramic spheres could effectively decrease the thermal conductivity and improve the compressive strength of the porous ceramics. The optimal porous ceramic was prepared with a ratio of 10∼50 of small and large size hollow ceramic spheres, which had a thermal conductivity of 0.368 W/(m·K) at 800 °C and a compressive strength of 22.43 MPa. Microscopic analysis indicated that the enhanced thermal insulation and mechanical properties were due to the improved pore structure and the enhanced bonding strength between the ceramic spheres and the matrix. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of high-performance thermal insulation materials.     

粉煤灰发泡陶瓷的制备及性能研究

面对日益匮乏的陶瓷原料,利用固体废弃物来制备发泡陶瓷已是当今趋势。以粉煤灰为主要原料,研究铬渣掺量、碎玻璃掺量和粉磨工艺对粉煤灰发泡陶瓷的影响。结果表明,掺入适量的铬渣可改善粉煤灰发泡陶瓷的性能,小掺量的碎玻璃对粉煤灰发泡陶瓷的性能影响较小。当原料配比为m(粉煤灰)∶m(铬渣)∶m(长石)∶m(碎玻璃)=60∶10∶20∶10时,采用湿法粉磨3 h,可以制得平均孔径为0.64 mm,体积密度为368.54 kg/m³,抗压强度为8.11 MPa的发泡陶瓷。     

Structure and properties of Al2O3-bonded porous fibrous YSZ ceramics fabricated by aqueous gel-casting

To meet requirements for high porosity and high strength, novel aqueous gel-casting process has been successfully developed to fabricate Al₂O₃-bonded porous fibrous YSZ ceramics with ρ-Al₂O₃ and YSZ fibers as raw materials. Microstructure, phase composition, apparent porosity, bulk density, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength of fabricated porous ceramics were investigated, and effects of fiber content on properties were discussed. According to results, bird nest 3D mesh with interlaced YSZ fibers and Al₂O₃ binder was formed, ensuring the ability to obtain high performance, lightweight ceramics. An increase in the number of YSZ fibers led to more complex interlaced arrangement of fibers and denser network structure of porous ceramics at retaining their stability. Furthermore, their apparent porosity and bulk density increased, whereas thermal conductivity and compressive strength decreased with increasing the fiber content. In particular, comparatively high porosity (71.1–72.7%), low thermal conductivity (0.209–0.503 W/mK), and relatively high compressive strength (3.45–4.24 MPa) were obtained for as-prepared porous ceramics, making them promising for applications in filters, thermal insulation materials, and separation membranes.     

Production and properties of highly porous zircon materials

Conclusions We proposed, using zircon as an example, the principle of forming pores of two types — cellular and capillary — for obtaining highly porous (up to 90%) ceramics. It consists of a combination of the foam method and the introduction of removeable foamed polystyrene. At the stage of forming and drying the system is distinguished by a high volume constancy, uniformity of properties, and the possibility of carrying out rapid drying.On the basis of a zircon suspension as the bond and crushed zircon foamed ceramics as the filler we obtained a highly porous ceramic concrete with a porosity of 50–70% and a compressive strength of 12–24 MPa.A marked influence on the properties of the resulting materials is exerted by the microcracks formed as a result of the removal of the expanded polystyrene (PPS) in the foamed ceramic, and the presence of uncompensated shrinkage in the ceramic concrete. With an increase in the value of the uncompensated shrinkage from 0 to 7%, the thermal-shock resistance of the ceramic concretes is increased 1.3 times and the thermal conductivity is reduced by a factor of 1.25.Translated from Ogneupory, No. 7, pp. 20–25, July, 1984.     

利用黄金尾矿制备发泡陶瓷的研究

中国黄金尾矿资源量大,作为二次资源在建筑材料领域的综合利用有着重要的经济价值和环境意义。以黄金尾矿为主要原料,SiC为发泡剂,通过高温制备发泡陶瓷,用激光共聚焦显微镜、XRD等手段,研究了烧结温度、黄金尾矿掺入量、原料粒度对材料的容重、真气孔率和孔径等性能的影响。研究表明:随着烧结温度的升高,发泡陶瓷材料的真气孔率和孔径增大,容重减小;材料的真气孔率和容重随着黄金尾矿掺入量的增大分别降低和提高,随着原料粒度的减小分别提高和降低,气孔孔径随着黄金尾矿掺量的增大和原料粒度的减小均呈下降趋势。优化后,在烧成温度1 050 ℃,黄金尾矿掺入量50%(质量分数),黄金尾矿平均粒度D(50)=5.6 μm,SiC平均粒度D(50)=3.0 μm的条件下可制备出性能良好的发泡陶瓷。     

Preparation and characteristics of porous anorthite ceramics with high porosity and high-temperature strength

High-temperature properties including compressive strength, thermal shock behavior, and thermal conductivity of porous anorthite ceramics with high specific strength were tested and analyzed. The results showed that the prepared materials merit high-temperature compressive strength, thermal stability, and conductivity. With the appropriate fabrication parameters, even though containing 0.33 g/cm³ bulk density and 88.2% porosity, its compressive strength could reach 2.03 MPa at 1000°C, 147% of that at room temperature; the residual strength ratio kept as 114.7% after a thermal shock at 1200°C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that anorthite grains refinement and intergranular voids filling by liquid phase were main factors for the high strength. From room temperature to 1200°C, its thermal conductivity only varied from 0.085 to 0.258 W·(m·K)⁻¹. High porosity, a large number of nanoregions in anorthite grains and amorphous phase in grain boundary were main reasons for low thermal conductivity.     

Preparation and properties of ferrimagnetic glass–ceramic foams based on pyrite slag

By employing a melt-sintering method, we prepared a new type of ferrimagnetic glass–ceramic foam (FGCF) using ferrimagnetic glass–ceramic and foaming agent SrCO₃. The ferrimagnetic glass–ceramics were fabricated based on pyrite slag by a melt-quenching method. The effects of foaming agent content, sintering temperature and time on microstructure, magnetic properties, microwave absorption performance, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of the as-obtained FGCF were analyzed. This foaming process at 1100°C for 40 min with 3-wt% SrCO₃ provided an FGCF with a bulk density of .693 g/cm³, a porosity of 63.60%, a specific saturation magnetic moment of 5.2 A m²/kg, a compressive strength of 2.61 MPa, a thermal conductivity of .241 W/(m K), and the calculated reflection loss of −12.1 dB for a layer thickness of 9 mm.     

Porous mullite ceramics with enhanced compressive strength from fly ash-based ceramic microspheres: Facile synthesis,structure, and performance

Porous mullite ceramics are widely used in heat insulation owing to their high temperature and corrosion resistant properties. Reducing the thermal conductivity by increasing porosity, while ensuring a high compressive strength, is vital for the synthesis of high-strength and lightweight porous mullite ceramics. In this study, ceramic microspheres are initially prepared from pre-treated high-alumina fly ash by spray drying, and then used to successfully prepare porous mullite ceramics with enhanced compressive strength via a simple direct stacking and sintering approach. The influence of sintering temperature and time on the microstructure and properties of porous mullite ceramics was evaluated, and the corresponding formation mechanism was elucidated. Results show that the porous mullite ceramics, calcined at 1550 °C for 3 h, possess a porosity of 47%, compressive strength of 31.4 MPa, and thermal conductivity of 0.775 W/(m?K) (at 25 °C), similar to mullite ceramics prepared from pure raw materials. The uniform pore size distribution and sintered neck between the microspheres contribute to the high compressive strength of mullite ceramics, while maintaining high porosity.     

Seed assisted in-situ synthesis of porous anorthite/mullite whisker ceramics by foam-freeze casting

Porous anorthite/mullite whisker ceramics with both high strength and low thermal conductivity have been successfully prepared by combining seed-assisted in situ synthesis and foam-freeze casting techniques. The addition of mullite seed was conducive to a reduction in the sintering shrinkage, pore size, and anorthite grain size. This increased the high aspect ratio of mullite whiskers, which enhanced the strength and diminished the thermal conductivity. Mullite whiskers overlapped to form a stable three-dimensional network structure similar to the bird's nest, which was also beneficial to heighten the mechanical properties of the prepared porous ceramics. Through this method, the prepared materials had a high apparent porosity of 87.7–90.2%, a low bulk density of 0.29–0.36 g/cm³, a high compressive strength of 0.65–3.31 MPa, and low thermal conductivity of 0.067–0.112 W/m·K. The results indicated that the method described here can fabricate porous ceramics with excellent properties for further thermal insulating applications.     

Effect of mullite phase formed in situ on pore structure and properties of high-purity mullite fibrous ceramics

Porous mullite ceramics are potential advanced thermal insulating materials. Pore structure and purity are the main factors that affect properties of these ceramics. In this study, high performance porous mullite ceramics were prepared via aqueous gel-casting using mullite fibers and kaolin as the raw materials and ρ-Al₂O₃ as the gelling agent. Effects of addition of mullite fibers on the pore structure and properties were examined. The results indicated that mullite phase in situ formed by kaolin, and ρ-Al₂O₃ ensured the purity of mullite samples and mullite fibers bonded together to form a nest-like structure, greatly improving the properties of ceramic samples. In particular, the apparent porosity of mullite samples reached 73.6%. In the presence of 75% of mullite fibers, the thermal conductivity was only 0.289 W/m K at room temperature. Moreover, the mullite samples possessed relatively high cold compressive strength in the range of 4.9–9.6 MPa. Therefore, porous mullite ceramics prepared via aqueous gel-casting could be used for wide applications in thermal insulation materials, attributing to the excellent properties such as high cold compressive strength and low thermal conductivity.     

Light‐weight thermal insulating fly ash cenosphere ceramics

Light weight fly ash cenosphere (FAC) ceramic composites were developed by simple slip casting method. Thermal properties, Bulk density, Microstructure, flexural strength, and phase analysis of the FAC ceramic composites were measured. The results proved that the FAC have ability to lower bulk density and thermal conductivity effectively. The lowest thermal conductivity achieved for FAC ceramic composites (0.27 W/m.K) was further reduced 0.21 W/m.K by adding combustible additives ie activated charcoal and corn starch. The flexural strength, bulk density and thermal conductivity of FAC ceramic composites reduced consistently with an increase in FAC content. The maximum flexural strength of 13.45 MPa was achieved with 50% FAC and the minimum flexural strength of 4.07 MPa was obtained with 80% FAC. The open porosity increased from 35.51% to 43.76% and 38.19% with an addition of 15% activated charcoal and corn starch, respectively, when compared to no additives. The bulk density of 699, 619, and 675 kg/m³ was achieved with 80% FAC, 80% FAC with the addition of 15% activated charcoal and corn starch, respectively. The 80% FAC ceramic composite shows low thermal expansion coefficient 6.54 × 10^?6/°C at the temperature of 50°C then it varies between 3.7 and 5 × 10^?6/°C in the temperature range above 100°C. These results prove that the developed light weight FAC ceramic are excellent low‐cost thermal insulating materials.     

Fabrication of novel BPO4 ceramic foams using the combination of the direct foaming method and freeze-drying techniques

In this study, ammonium phosphate monobasic and boric acid were used as the primary starting materials to produce BPO₄ powder by solid-state reaction. Using BPO₄ powders as the main raw material, BPO₄ ceramic foams were prepared for the first time using the direct foaming method and freeze-drying techniques. The effects of the additive content and solid loading on the slurry's rheological behavior were investigated, and the microstructures and properties of the as-prepared BPO₄ ceramic foams were examined. The results reveal that the porosity of the BPO₄ ceramic foams synthesized at 1223 K ranged from 84.2% to 90.4%, the compressive strength ranged from .12 MPa to .72 MPa, and the thermal conductivity ranged from .32 W/(m·K) to .74 W/(m·K) (298 K). The findings of this study have great significance for the development of new thermal insulation ceramic materials.     

Hierarchically porous lanthanum zirconate foams with low thermal conductivity from particle-stabilized foams

Lanthanum zirconate (LZO) ceramic foams with hierarchical pore structure were fabricated by particle-stabilized foaming method for the first time, and the as-prepared ceramics have high porosity of 90.7%-94.9%, low thermal conductivity, and relatively high compressive strength. The LZO powder was synthesized by solid-state method. The porosity of the ceramic foams was tailored by suspensions with different solid loadings (20-40 wt%). The sample with porosity of 94.9% has thermal conductivity of 0.073 W/(m·K) and compressive strength of 1.19 MPa, which exhibits outstanding property of thermal insulation and mechanical performance, indicating that LZO ceramic foam is a promising thermal insulation material in high temperature applications.