Thermal Properties of Porous Mullite Ceramics Modified with Microsized ZrO₂ and WO₃

Mullite ceramics are well known as materials with a high temperature stability, strength and creep resistance. In this research, the effect of a modification with magnesia-stabilized zirconia and yttria-stabilized zirconia, separately, as well as in a mixture with WO₃, in 1:1 and 1:2 ratios on the thermal properties of porous mullite ceramics was investigated. The porous mullite-containing ceramics were prepared by a slip casting of the concentrated slurry of raw materials with the addition of a suspension of Al paste for the pore formation due to the H₂ evolution as a result of the reaction of Al with water. The formed samples were sintered at 1600 °C and the holding time was 1 h. The materials were characterized using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry, the laser flash contactless method, thermal shock resistance testing and the non-destructive impulse excitation method for determining the elasticity modulus. The modification of the porous mullite ceramic with a mixture of ZrO₂ and WO₃ oxides had a positive effect by decreasing the thermal conductivity, due to the increased porosity, in comparison to the undoped samples and samples with only ZrO₂. The doubling of the WO₃ amount in the modifying oxide mixtures improved the ceramic thermal shock resistance. The porous mullite ceramics which were modified with magnesia-stabilized zirconia (2.8 mol% MgO) and WO₃ had a lower thermal conductivity and improved thermal shock resistance than the samples with yttria-stabilized zirconia (8 mol% Y₂O₃) and WO₃.