Mullit Synthesized by DC Arc Plasma

The paper presents the results of mullite ceramics production using a plasma generator. Exposure of a briquette, produced from silicon-containing marshallit quartz powder and aluminum powder, to low-temperature plasma from a plasmatron has allowed producing a glassy ingot of silver color. X-ray phase analysis has revealed that the ingot contains amorphous and crystalline phases. The crystalline phase is mullite with orthorhombic syngony ( D⁹2h = Pbam) and the chemical composition Al_6.9Si_1.22O_4.85. A review of crystalline structures of mullite-based compounds has been carried out.