Ceramic nanocomposites: control of structural and PTX parameters of the synthesis of mullite from kaolinite using Taguchi experimental design

The purpose of this article is to develop a special modeling approach, which simulates the synthesis of a mullite from kaolinite and allows controlling its physical and structural properties. A Taguchi experimental design is implemented to reveal significant PTX-parameters in comparison with insignificant ones for the synthesis of a mullite nanocomposite and prototyping of the optimal synthesis protocol. The objects of the study are ceramic nanocomposites: morphostructural characteristics of mullite synthesized from kaolinite and its structural transformations during heat treatment. 2D contour plots of the intensity of mullite XRD-peaks and content of the mullite phase were used to visualize the influence of input factors and point out the optimal ones. Furthermore, we rearranged the previously proposed simple mathematical model of structural transformations "kaolinite - mullite", which allows controlling the synthesis protocol and properties of the mullite matrix of nanocomposite depending on the PTX-parameters of mullite synthesis.