Use of silica sol as a transient phase for fabrication of aluminium titanate–mullite ceramic composite

A novel approach for the fabrication of aluminium titanate–mullite composite via silica sol gelating is described. The bending strength of sintered samples was greatly improved (by up to about 200%) compared with that of samples fabricated by dry pressing and gel-casting. The effect of silica sol on the dispersion behaviour of slurry was revealed. The results from scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that silica sol gel-casting provides a dense microstructure with fine grains, which are responsible for the improvement in bending strength.