Anisotropy of green stoneware evaluated by ultrasound measurements in combination with texture analyses

Anisotropic microstructure of uniaxially pressed powders has been reported in the literature, and is often reflected in direction-dependent physical properties such as thermal conductivity and firing shrinkage. Quantification of direction-dependency could be an important tool to predict such physical variations. For the first time, an ultrasound technique in combination with a microstructural investigation were applied to access anisotropy in green uniaxially pressed stoneware tiles. The longitudinal ultrasound wave velocity was measured parallel and perpendicular to the pressing direction. The sample microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, porosimetry and X-ray powder diffraction analyses in combination with crystallographic texture analyses using the Rietveld method. It was found that the anisotropic character, quantified as the ratio between the velocities measured perpendicular and parallel to the pressing direction, increased with increasing compact density. Based on the microstructure analyses, these results were attributed to texture of the porous structure as well as the constituting minerals.