The influence of mechanical activation of starting components on kinetics of cordierite formation

Abstract

Mechanical activation of simple and complex powder systems is very often used as a method for modification of physico-chemical properties in technologies for obtaining advanced materials. The present work reports on investigation of cordierite formation from starting powders mixture of basic magnesium carbonate (BMC) and kaolinite. Starting powders mixture were mechanically activated in a high energy vibromill. The grinding times were 10, 20 and 40 minutes. Amorphization process of starting compounds in mixtures and phase transformations during supplementary thermal treatment were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD). Differential thermal analysis (DTA) is a convenient method for investigating chemical thermodynamics and formal kinetic descriptions of physico-chemical processes. Formal kinetic analysis of cordierite formation in non-isothermal conditions were excersited using kinetic theory in stationary point according to Kissinger and Ozawa method. Set of DTA measurements with different heating rate of 10, 15, 20 and 30 K/min were used for determining activation energy of cordierite formation from the starting amorphous material.