Microstructural Analysis of the Ceramic Corrosion inFrit Melts

Ceramic products are made from natural or syntheticraw materials and generally characterized by theirhigh hardness and melting point combined with lowtoughness and resistance to fracture. They are thecombination of complex oxides and silicates, alsouseful carbide, nitride, and boride ceramics areproduced. One of the popular applications of ceramicsare crucibles, vital materials used in thescientific research for melting different types ofsolid samples at varying high temperatures. This bookmainly addresses the investigations on thethermodynamic compatibility and speed of manufactureof the potential crucible materials which can beproduced in-house and considers their use incorrosion testing of frit furnace refractories andinteractions with frit melts. Dense alumina andzirconia crucibles are manufactured in the laboratoryby slip casting and tested for their resistance tocorrosive attack by opaque and transparent frits.Microstructural analysis of the surfaces and/orinterfaces are achieved by the use of principlemethods of characterization including diffraction,light and electron microscopy as well as otheranalytical techniques.