Besides its importance for conventional ceramics, mullite has become a choice of material for advanced
structural and functional ceramics due to its favourable properties. Some outstanding properties of mullite
are low thermal expansion, low thermal conductivity, excellent creep resistance, high-temperature strength,
and good chemical stability. The mechanism of mullite formation depends upon the method of combining
the alumina- and silica-containing reactants. It is also related to the temperature at which the reaction
leads to the formation of mullite (mullitisation temperature). Mullitisation temperatures have been reported
to differ by up to several hundred degrees Celsius depending on the synthesis method used. The three
synthesis methods used to prepare mullite are discussed in this paper together with an overview of mullite,
its properties and the current application of mullite.
