Open Access

ARTICLE

Research of Microstructure, Phase, and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum-Dross-Based Porous Ceramics

Liang Yu^1,2,3, Yuan Liu^1,2,3, Xiuling Cao^4,*, Yulong Yan^1,2,3, Chen Zhang^1,2,3, Yanli Jiang^1,2,3,*

1 Key Laboratory of New Processing Technology for Nonferrous Metals & Materials, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
2 Guangxi Scientific Experiment Center of Mining, Metallurgy and Environment, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
3 Collaborative Innovation Center for Exploration of Nonferrous Metal Deposits and Efficient Utilization of Resources, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China
4 Hebei Technology Innovation Center for Intelligent Development and Control of Underground Built Environment, School of Exploration Technology and Engineering, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China

* Corresponding Authors: Xiuling Cao. Email: ; Yanli Jiang. Email:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2023, 11(7), 3057-3072. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2023.025732

Received 27 July 2022; Accepted 13 September 2022; Issue published 05 June 2023

Abstract

In this study, the effect of sintering temperature and the addition of kaolin, a sintering agent, on the microscopic, phase, and mechanical properties of ceramics were investigated using secondary aluminum dross (SAD) as the main component in the manufacturing of ceramics. The basic phases of the ceramics were Al₂O₃, MgAl₂O₄, NaAl₁₁O₁₇, and SiO₂ without the addition of kaolin. The diffraction peaks of MgAl₂O₄, NaAl₁₁O₁₇, and SiO₂ kept decreasing while those of Al₂O₃ kept increasing with an increase in temperature. In addition, the increase in temperature promoted the growth of the grains. The grains were uniform in size and regular in distribution, with a shrinkage of 2.2%, porosity of 72.5%, bulk density of 1.076 g/cm³, and compressive strength of 1.12 MPa. When the sintering temperature was 1450°C, the basic phases of the ceramic after the addition of kaolin were Al₂O₃, MgAl₂O₄, NaAl₁₁O₁₇, and SiO₂. With the increase of kaolin, the diffraction peaks of NaAl₁₁O₁₇ and SiO₂ decreased until they disappeared, while the diffraction peaks of Al₂O₃ increased significantly. When kaolin was added at 30 wt.%, the ceramics obtained had shrinkage of 18%, a porosity of 47.26%, a bulk density of 1.965 g/cm³, and compressive strength of 31.9 MPa. Cracks existed inside the ceramics without the addition of kaolin, while the addition of kaolin significantly changed this defect. It is shown that SAD can obtain porous ceramics with good properties at a sintering temperature of 1450°C and a kaolin addition of 30 wt.%.

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