Low-Temperature Densification Sintering and Properties of Monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ Ceramics

The dense monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ ceramics have been prepared by a two-step sintering process at a sintering temperature of 1173 K (900 °C). Firstly, the pre-sintered monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ powders containing small SiO₂·Al₂O₃ crystal phases were obtained by continuously sintering a powder mixture of SrCO₃ and kaolin at 1223 K (950 °C) for 6 hours and 1673 K (1400 °C) for 4 hours, respectively. Subsequently, by the combination of the pre-sintered ceramic powders with the composite flux agents, which are composed of a SrO·3B₂O₃ flux agent and α-Al₂O₃, the low-temperature densification sintering of the monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ ceramics was accomplished at 1173 K (900 °C). The low-temperature sintering behavior and microstructure evolvement of the monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ ceramics have been investigated in terms of Al₂O₃ in addition to the composite flux agents. It shows that due to the low-meting characteristics, the SrO·3B₂O₃ flux agent can urge the dense microstructure formation of the monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ ceramics and the re-crystallization of the grains via a liquid-phase sintering. The introduction of α-Al₂O₃ to the SrO·3B₂O₃ flux agent can apparently lead to more dense microstructures for the monoclinic-SrAl₂Si₂O₈ ceramics but also cause the re-precipitation of SiO₂·Al₂O₃ compounds because of an excessive Al₂O₃ content in the SrO·3B₂O₃ flux agent.