Phase formation and crystallization kinetics in cordierite ceramics prepared from kaolinite and magnesia

In this work, Algerian kaolinite, a naturally occurring clay mineral, was used as low-cost precursor for the synthesis of cordierite ceramics. The kaolinite was mixed with synthetic magnesia, and the mixture was ball milled and reaction sintered in the temperature range 900–1350 °C for 2 h. Thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), dilatometry, high temperature x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) complementary techniques were used to analyze sintering behavior, characterize phase transformations, and investigate crystallization kinetics. Milling the kaolinite and magnesia mixture for 10 h yielded a homogenous powder, decreased the average particle size, and improved the roundness of particles. Different crystalline phases were present in the samples sintered in the temperature range 900–1150 °C, the cordierite phase started to crystallize at 1200 °C, and the formation of highly dense cordierite (99%) was complete at 1250 °C. The activation energy values for cordierite formation calculated using Kissinger, Boswell, and Ozawa methods were found to be equal to 577, 589, and 573 kJ/mol, respectively. The kinetic parameters n and m had values close to 2. Bulk nucleation with a constant number of nuclei was the dominant mechanism in cordierite crystallization, followed by two-dimensional growth controlled by interface reaction.