Preparation of homogeneous mullite‐based fibrous ceramics by starch consolidation

Abstract Silica sol is one of the frequently used binders in high‐temperature resisting fibrous porous ceramics, but in the drying process, it can diffuse with water and influence the uniformity of ceramics. To solve this diffusion problem and fabricate homogeneous fibrous porous ceramics, cationic starch was firstly introduced in mullite fibrous system. The effects of starch content and high‐temperature binder content on microstructure, physical, and mechanical properties were also investigated. The results indicate that starch consolidated mullite fibrous ceramics owned a homogeneous 3D skeleton structure, since the introduced starch can absorb both water and silica particles by gelatinization and ensure the even distribution of binders. Compared with the mullite fibrous ceramics fabricated without starch addition, starch consolidated ceramics owned better microstructure and higher interior compression strength. Furthermore, both the starch and silica sol content had great impact on the microstructure, density, porosity, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength of the fibrous ceramic.