Porous Mullite Honeycomb by Hydrothermal Treatment of Fired Kaolin Bodies in NaOH

A conventional hydrothermal treatment with various concentrations of NaOH was used at 150 degrees and 190 degrees C to dissolve excess silica glass and thus make porous mullite ceramics from a fired New Zealand kaolin body. The effect of hydrothermal treatment time on the dissolution of the glass was examined. At 150 degrees C, the dissolution of glass was almost complete after treatment for 8 hrs in 5N-NaOH solution and about 40-43 wt% of the glass was removed from the fired kaolin body leading to porous mullite. However, when the fired kaolin body was treated for more than 5 hrs in 5N-NaOH at 190 degrees C, a composite of mullite and a nonporous crystalline phase of unknown symmetry resulted. These crystals formed from the dissolution and recrystallization of the glass. After the dissolution of glass in 2N-NaOH solution at 190 degrees C for 5 hrs, a porous mullite body of 52.8% porosity with an average pore diameter of 0.57 mu m could be obtained, and this was only composed of mullite whiskers. Growth of unidentified nonporous crystals in the body which was treated in 5N-NaOH solution at 190 degrees C led to a decrease in specific surface area and therefore, these crystals should be avoided.