Microstructural control of porous Al2TiO5 by using potato starch as pore-forming agent

In this study, we have tried to prepare porous Al2TiO5 ceramics with potato starch as a pore-forming agent at relatively low sintering temperatures by reactive sintering method using fine-grained starting materials. ¡-Al2O3 powder (0.1¯m) and TiO2 rutile powder (2¯m) were wet-ball milled in ethanol for 2 h in a planetary ball-mill. The mixed powder was blended with 5 30wt % of potato starch powder in an agate mortar with ethanol. Green samples with no binder were sintered at 13001500°C for 2 h in air. The sample contained finer closed pores (<1¯m) as well as the larger pores (580¯m). The finer microstructure formation can be explained by (1) the local heating effect via the combustion of potato starch, and (2) water vapor-assisted effect