Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
This paper reports the engineering of an ideal zeolite-derived cordierite precursor and addresses the various technological issues that are encountered in the zeolite-to-ceramic process. Mg-exchanged zeolite B (SiO2/Al2O3=2.5) collapses to an amorphous powder at temperatures between 600 and 800°C. The resulting powder can be processed by various standard ceramic methods to give high-quality cordierite parts. The sintering behavior of MgB is described and compared with MgX, another zeolite that is conveniently synthesized with a 2.5 SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. Properties of MgB-derived cordierite are also described.