Abstract
Due to the anisotropy of thermal expansion, LAS system which has low thermal expansion property is hard to obtain a dense sintered body. Therefore, the thermal expansion coefficient and the mechanical strength were decreased. In this study, mullite, which has good mechanical properties in high temperature and comparatively low thmeral expansion coefficient, was taken as a additive in LAS system. And then, sintering, thermal, and mechanical properties were investigated. The results are follows; When mullite is added in eucryptite composition (Li2O.Al2O3.2SiO2) of LAS system, the creation of liquid phase results in the densification of sintered body and the specimen sintered at 136$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours shows optimum sintering condition. With the addition of mullite in eucryptite composition, mechanical strength is increased by the control of grain growth. Especially, flexual strength of EM0 specimen was about double value than the basic composition. Thermal expansion coefficients of EM0 and EM15 specimens sintered at 136$0^{\circ}C$ were -8.23$\times$10-6/$^{\circ}C$ and -4.90$\times$10-6/$^{\circ}C$ in the temperature range of RT.~80$0^{\circ}C$. As the mullite content are increased, negative thermal expansion ratios are decreased.