Abstract
Cordierite composed of an alumina-silica-magnesia compound has a low coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE) and excellent thermal shock resistance. It also has a low dielectric constant and high electrical insulation. However, due to low mechanical strength, it is limited for use in a ceramic heater. In this study, $ZrO_2$ is added to an 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite composition, and the effect of $ZrO_2$ addition on the mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance is investigated. With an increasing addition of $ZrO_2$, cordierite-mullite formed $ZrO_2$, $ZrSiO_4$ and spinel phases. With sintering conducted at $1400^{\circ}C$ with the addition of 5 wt% $ZrO_2$ to 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite, the most dense microstructure forms along with an excellent mechanical strength with a 3-point flexural strength of 238MPa. When this composition is quenched in water at ${\Delta}T=400^{\circ}C$, the 3-point flexural strength is maintained. Moreover, when this composition is cooled from $800^{\circ}C$ to air, the 3-point flexural strength is maintained even after 100 cycles. In addition, the CTE is measured as $3.00{\times}10^{-6}{\cdot}K^{-1}$ at $1000^{\circ}C$. Therefore, 80 wt% cordierite-20 wt% mullite with 5 wt% $ZrO_2$ is considered to be appropriate as material for a ceramic heater.
