Low-Temperature Synthesis of Magnesium-Stabilized Aluminum Titanate Powder via Non-Hydrolytic Sol-Gel Method

Magnesium-stabilized aluminum titanate powder was prepared via non-hydrolytic sol-gel method using titanium tetrachloride and anhydrous aluminium chloride as precursors, anhydrous ethanol as the oxygen donor, magnesium powder, magnesium fluoride, magnesium ethoxide and anhydrous magnesium acetate as stabilizers. The effect of magnesium stabilizers on low temperature synthesis of aluminum titanate was investigated, and their role and mechanism in stabilizing aluminum titanate were also studied by XRD, FT-IR and thermal expansion dilatometer. The results show that introducing magnesium powder or magnesium fluoride can’t stabilize aluminum titanate, they also lead to the failure of aluminum titanate low-temperature synthesis at 750 °C due to its promotion of non-hydrolytic homogeneous condensation. Anhydrous magnesium acetate and magnesium ethoxide can react with aluminum alkoxide and titanium alkoxide in the precursor mixture to form heterogeneous condensation bonds, which promotes magnesium ion to dope into aluminum titanate lattice at 750 °C, and hence to improve its thermal stability.