Effect of micro/nano TiO2 addition on the densification behavior and mechanical properties of multifunctional resistant porcelains

Abstract

The current study aimed at evaluating the effect of sintering temperature and TiO2 content on the density and mechanical properties of novel multifunctional resistant porcelains. In this work, a new selective mixture of available natural ceramic materials of kaolin (30 wt%), feldspar (45 wt%), and quartz (25 wt%) was used. Moreover, 3, 5, and 8 wt% TiO2 nano and microparticles were added to the mixture. The optimum sintering temperature was found to be 1150 °C, which resulted in the highest bulk density and the lowest apparent porosity of porcelain samples. The phase characterization of the prepared porcelains was carried out using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The XRD results of the analysis demonstrated that the samples containing 5 wt% TiO2 had the highest peak intensity of the mullite phase. In addition, the FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of crystalline mullite phase. The SEM micrographs revealed that the samples containing 5 wt% micro/nano TiO2 had the highest densification, containing the needle-like mullite phase.