Preparation and properties of porous mullite ceramics with high-closed porosity and high strength from fly ash via reaction synthesis process

Fly ash is a typical industrial solid waste that seriously affects human health and ecological balance. In order to recycle the fly ash, in this work, porous mullite ceramics were successfully fabricated with fly ash and bauxite via reaction synthesis process. Effects of firing temperature (1450–1550 °C), silicon carbide addition amount (0–15 wt%), and potash feldspar addition amount (0–16 wt%) on the mullite porous ceramics were systematically investigated. It was found that increasing the silicon carbide addition amount or raising firing temperature was favourable for improving the cold compressive strength and thermal shock resistance of the porous ceramics. Consequently, the porous ceramics with 10 wt% silicon carbide, 4–12 wt% potash feldspar had optimal overall performances. The closed porosity and cold compressive strength ranges were 14.79%–18.57% and 217.18–236.67 MPa, respectively. The thermal cycles were 7–9 times, and the thermal conductivity was reached to 2.19–2.52 W m−1 K−1 at 800 °C. This work provides a convenient and promising method for the utilization of fly ash. [Display omitted] •A simple and low-cost method was used for preparing porous mullite ceramics.•The evolution mechanism of closed pores was explained by the graph model and thermodynamics.•A green recycling route can be used for disposing of the fly ash.