Aluminum titanate ceramic forming batch mixtures and green bodies including pore former combinations and methods of manufacturing and firing same

Abstract

A ceramic forming batch mixture including inorganic batch materials, such as sources of alumina, titania, and silica, a pore former combination including first and second pore formers with different compositions; an organic binder; and a solvent. Also disclosed is a method for producing a ceramic article involving mixing the inorganic batch materials with the pore former combination having first and second pore formers of different composition, adding an organic binder and a solvent, forming a green body; and firing the green body. A green body having a combination of first and second pore formers with different compositions is disclosed, as are several methods for firing to produce ceramic articles such as aluminum titanate.

1 . An aluminum titanate ceramic forming batch mixture, comprising:
 inorganic batch materials including sources of alumina, titania, and silica;   a pore former combination including a first pore former and a second pore former having a different composition than the first pore former;   an organic binder; and   a solvent.   
     
     
         2 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the pore former combination includes at least two selected from the group of carbon, starch, and polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first pore former is a polymer and the second pore former is graphite. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 3  wherein the polymer has a density below 0.97 grams/cc, and more preferably below 0.93 grams/cc. 
     
     
         5 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first and second pore formers are selected from a group of pore formers consisting of graphite, activated carbon, petroleum coke, carbon black, corn starch, barley starch, bean starch, potato starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, pea starch, sago palm starch, wheat starch, canna starch, polybutylene, polymethylpentene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyamides, epoxies, ABS, acrylics, and polyesters. 
     
     
         6 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first pore former comprises starch and the second pore former comprises graphite. 
     
     
         7 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 6  wherein the starch consists of corn starch, barley starch, bean starch, potato starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, pea starch, sago palm starch, wheat starch, and canna starch. 
     
     
         8 . The aluminum titanate ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first pore former is potato starch and the second pore former is graphite. 
     
     
         9 . The ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first pore former consists of 5-25%, by weight, of the inorganic batch materials, and the second pore former consists of 5-25%, by weight, of the inorganic batch materials. 
     
     
         10 . The ceramic batch mixture of  claim 1  wherein the first pore former consists of starch in 5-15%, by weight, of the inorganic batch materials, and the second pore former consists of carbon in 5-15%, by weight, of the inorganic batch materials. 
     
     
         11 . An aluminum titanate ceramic forming green body, comprising:
 a homogeneous mixture of inorganic batch materials including sources of alumina, titania, and silica;   a pore former combination including a first pore former and a second pore former having differing compositions; and   an organic binder   wherein said green body includes a plurality of interconnected cell walls forming a plurality of cell channels traversing along the body.