Fabrication of mullite–zirconia composites by microwave sintering of corundum/amorphous silica particles and sol–gel substrates

Mullite–ZrO2 composites were prepared using as starting materials corundum/amorphous silica particles or substrates formed by the sol–gel method. The sintering process has been carried out in a high temperature microscope and in a microwave oven. It was observed that the mechanism of mullite–ZrO2 composite formation from composite particles (so called transient viscous sintering) was different from the process typical for substrates prepared by the sol–gel method.