Quartz particle size and cooling rate effects on microstructural defects and mechanical properties of feldspar-based ceramic materials

Abstract

Reinforcement or microstructural damage? What effect do quartz particles have on a feldspar-based ceramic material? To answer this question, this study investigates the impact of different cooling conditions on the generation of microstructural defects in a sodium feldspar matrix caused by quartz particles. Moreover, the study aims to analyze how these defects influence the mechanical properties of the final product. Therefore, high-purity sodium feldspar and varying-sized quartz particles were used. The materials was sintered and subjected to different cooling rates during the quartz allotropic transition (). The results showed that the addiction of coarse quartz particles significantly reduced the mechanical properties of the ceramic composition. Cooling types only had a noticeable impact when a material with a high percentage of coarse quartz was rapidly cooled during the quartz allotropic transition. In summary, no evidence of microstructural reinforcement was found when adding quartz particles to a sodium feldspar matrix.