Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-26T04:58:19.878Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An Historical Mullite Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic Composite: Characterization of the ‘Wootz’ Crucible Refractory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2011

Thelma L. Lowe ,
Nima Merk  and
Gareth Thomas
Thelma L. Lowe
Affiliation:
Department of SSEAS, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720
Nima Merk
Affiliation:
National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720
Gareth Thomas
Affiliation:
National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720
Get access

Abstract

Since at least the sixteenth century, the ‘wootz’ ultra-high carbon white cast-iron ingot was produced in India by melting or carburising iron in a crucible. This ingot was forged into sword blades of so-called ‘Damascus’ steel. The charged crucible was fired in a long (24 hour) single cycle at high temperature (1150-1250°C) in a strongly reducing atmosphere. Raw materials for the refractory vessel are clay and ‘coked’ rice husks. At high temperatures, two phases reinforce the glassy matrix - cristobalite relics of rice husks and a network of mullite crystals. This paper characterizes the microstructure and chemistry of the mullite network in the glassy matrix by means of a combination of techniques: optical microscopy, XRD, SEM, TEM with EDS, and HREM.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 185: Symposium G – Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology II , 1990 , 627
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References and Notes

1. Voysey, H. W., Description of the Native Manufacture of Steel in India. Journal. Asiatic Society of Bengal 1:245–247 (1832).Google Scholar
2. Lowe, T. L., Refractories in High-carbon Iron Processing; A Preliminary Study of the Deccani Wootz-making Crucible. in Ceramics and Civilization III. Proceedings of the Conference, April 1987, American Ceramics Society, Pittsburgh. (in press).Google Scholar
3. Skoog, A.J. and Moore, R.E., Ceram. Bull. 64, 1180–1185 (1988). For a summary list of these properties of mullite see Tables I, II, III, IV.Google Scholar
4. Lowe, T. L., Solidification and the Crucible Processing of Deccani Ancient Steel, in Solidification and Materials Processing, Proceedings - Indo-US Conference at Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. January 1988. IBH and Oxford Press, New Delhi (in press).Google Scholar
5. McGee, T. D., J. Amer. Cer. Soc. 49 (2), 87–90 (1966).Google Scholar
6. Kingrey, W.D., Bowen, H.K. and Uhlmann, D.R., Introduction to Ceramics, 2nd ed. (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1976), p. 540.Google Scholar
7. Onike, F., Martin, G.D. and Dunham, A.C., Matr. Sc. For. 2, 738. (1986).Google Scholar
8. Johnson, S.M., Pask, J.A. and Moya, J.S., J. Am Cer. Soc. 65 (1), 31–35 (1982).Google Scholar
9. Done at Central Cer. Res. Inst. Calcutta, India.Google Scholar
10. Done at Nat. Geoph. Res. Inst. Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Instrument - Modified Divided Bar - Mean T - 32°C. Courtesy of Dr. Gupta, M. L..Google Scholar
11. Done at Schmidt Festk6rper Institut, Leoben, Austria. Courtesy of Dr. Gerhard Sperl.Google Scholar
12. Done at the Inst.for Adv. Stud.in Archaeology, Deccan College, Pune, Maharashtra, India. Courtesy Dr. V. Gogte.Google Scholar
13. Guyon, E. and Roux, S., Les Matdriaux hétérogènes. La Recherche 191 September (1987).Google Scholar