An investigation about the mechanical and corrosion properties of cordierite based ceramic composites

One of the essential phases in the MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 (MAS) system, cordierite, has the chemical formula 2MgO? 2 Al2O3 ? 5 SiO2. Therefore, cordierite is generally produced from natural raw materials by liquid phase sintering. In this study, dense cordierite and cordierite-based/ZrO2 ceramic composites were produced economically from natural zeolite at a temperature as low as 1250 ?C. Phase analyses with XRD and microstructure examinations with SEM/FESEM were performed. The hot salt corrosion behaviour of ZrSiO4 crystals in a cordierite matrix was also tested. It was determined that the addition of ZrO2 to reduce the average grain size had a positive effect on wear and corrosion resistance. Density, porosity, hardness, flexural strength and wear behaviour of the cordierite-based/ZrO2 ceramic composites were determined. In addition, the hardness values of the zirconia free sample, the samples containing 10 and 20 wt.% zirconia were measured as 11.29, 12.60 and 12.91GPa, respectively, while the specific wear rates were identified as 5.097 ? 10?3, 6.302 ? 10?6 and 3.393 ? 10?7 mm3/Nm, respectively. The hardness increased and the wear resistance changed with the addition of zirconia.