Role of acid-base interactions in synthesis of cordierite from talc and sillimanite group minerals

Abstract

It has been found that the mechanical activation of mixtures of sillimanite group minerals with talc and silica additives in grinding-activating devices with periodic and flow action provides significant acceleration of their interaction with formation of cordierite at the subsequent high-temperature treatment. It is shown that the output of cordierite depends on nature of mineral: in mixture with a sillimanite it is considerably higher, than with an andalusite and kyanite, while the rate of mullitization of these minerals has opposite character. It means that the formation of mullite during heat treatment is not a limiting step in synthesis of cordierite. It is shown that the rate of reaction is determined by the difference in the acid-base properties of these minerals, which depend on the coordination of aluminum cations by oxygen ions, different for each of the modifications.