My watch list
my.chemeurope.com  
Login  

Mullite




Mullite, or porcelainite, is a rare clay mineral, aluminum silicate (Al6Si2O13). It is produced artificially during various melting and firing processes, and is used as a refractory.

Researchers recently discovered [1] that potters in the Hesse region of Germany unknowingly used mullite to create crucibles, enabling alchemists to heat their crucibles to very high temperatures. The formula for making it (using kaolinitic clay and then firing it at temperatures above 1100 degrees) was kept a closely guarded secret.

Mullite is present in the form of acicular crystals in porcelain.

References

  1. ^ University College London, November 23, 2006, retrieved November 24, 2006.
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mullite". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
Your browser is not current. Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 does not support some functions on Chemie.DE