Abstract
Five eucryptite and ten spodumene compositional powders were syntehsized from three sillimanite group, two kaolin group, and five pyrophyllite group silicate minerals. Those powders were isotatically pressed and fired at 1200~135$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs, and then the sintered bodies were characterized. Silicate minerals with molar ratio of Al2O3 to SiO2 correspond to those of eucryptite and spodumene are kaolin and pyrophyllite group silicate minerals, respectively. Sintering characteristics of eucryptite from kaolin group and spodumene from pyrophyllite group mineral were superior to those from other silicate minerals. Eucryptite sintered bodies with 95~97% relative densities and densified microstructures can be obtained using Hadong pink kaolin as starting materials by sintering over broad temperature zone(1250~135$0^{\circ}C$). The eucryptite sintered bodies which were fired at 130$0^{\circ}C$ for 2hrs, from Hadong pink kaolin had within 3.0wt% microstructural compositional variations compaired with stoichiometric compound, and had good negative thermal expansiion property with -3.55$\times$10-6/$^{\circ}C$ thermal expansion coefficient. Spodumene sintered bodies which were prepared from pyrophyllite group silicate minerals, had dense microstructures and high densities by densification through liquid phase sintering with enlarged temperature range. The specimens which were fired at 130$0^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs from Gusipyrophillite, had dense microstructure with crystallines mainly, and low thermal expansion property with 0.62$\times$10-6/$^{\circ}C$ thermal expansion coefficient. The porous texture and residual glass phase in LAS system ceramics which were prepared from silicate minerals, tend to increase the thermal expansion properties of sintered bodies to positive direction.
