Influence of particle size distribution of precursor oxides on the synthesis of cordierite by solid-state reaction

The influence of the particle size distribution of the precursor oxides on the synthesis of cordierite by solid-state reaction has been investigated. Expectedly, it is found that reducing the particle size of the raw materials results in a decrease in the temperature at which the synthesis process starts. Likewise, small particle sizes promote the sintering when subjecting the monoliths to high temperatures (1400 °C) for long periods of time (500 min), with almost no destruction of the highly crystalline honeycomb structure, which is mainly comprised of a pseudo-cordierite.