	US 7,528,087 B2
	Porous mullite bodies and methods of forming them
Chandan Saha, West Bloomfield, Mich. (US); Sharon Allen, Midland, Mich. (US); Chan Han, Midland, Mich. (US); Robert T. Nilsson, Midland, Mich. (US); Arthur R. Prunier, Jr., Midland, Mich. (US); Aleksander J. Pyzik, Midland, Mich. (US); Sten A. Wallin, Midland, Mich. (US); Robin Ziebarth, Midland, Mich. (US); and Timothy J. Gallagher, Midland, Mich. (US)
Assigned to Dow Global Technologies, Inc., Midland, Mich. (US)
Appl. No. 10/551,728 PCT Filed Apr. 23, 2004, PCT No. PCT/US2004/012740 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 03, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/096729, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 11, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0197265 A1, Sep. 07, 2006
Int. Cl. C04B 35/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 501—128 [264/646; 264/638; 501/28; 502/202; 502/407; 502/411; 502/423; 502/427; 422/177]

7 Claims

1. A method for preparing a porous acicular mullite composition having an improved thermal shock factor, the method comprising,

a) forming a mixture of one or more precursor compounds having the elements present in mullite and a property enhancing compound comprising talc,

b) shaping the mixture into a porous green shape,

c) heating the porous green shape of step (b) under an atmosphere having a fluorine containing gas and to a temperature sufficient to form a mullite composition comprised substantially of acicular mullite grains that are essentially chemically bound, wherein an element of the property enhancing compound is incorporated into a glassy grain interface phase of the porous acicular mullite composition.