Effect of Anorthite on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bone China Bodies

ꞵ-tricalcium phosphate (ꞵ-TCP) and anorthite are the main crystalline components in bone china bodies. The difference in their thermal expansion coefficients causes a decrease in the thermal shock resistance of the body. In this study, anorthite was replaced with bone ash at the bone china body, and the effect of this new composition on different properties of bone china, after curing at 1260 °C for 3 hours, was investigated. The results showed that the physical and mechanical properties of the sample containing 50 wt% anorthite compared to the typical bone china improved and only 8.7% of the whiteness index diminished. Also the microstructure of samples containing Anorthite were observed without thermal crack and almost uniform distribution of Anorthite and quartz crystals in the heterogeneous glass matrix.