Y Karimi - Graduate student
A Monshi - Professor, Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan university of Technology

Magnesium Oxychloride known as Sorel cement, has superior strength over the other cements, and is used as bonding agent in various commercial applications. Sorel-SiC composite due to the great abrading behavior, has been used in abrasive tools specially in grinding stone. One of the most important factors in abrading behavior of these composites is the great cold crushing strength (CCS). In this research, the effect of the addition of 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% magnesium sulphate to Sorel-20%wt SiC is studied. The cold crushing strength (CCS) of the samples measured after 10 days for different percentages of magnesium sulphate and showed that the addition of magnesium sulphate develops highest CCS. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) of matrix phase and composites are investigated. Effect of addition of Magnesium sulphate on setting time of composite are investigated. The morphology and microstructure of the phases are characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). These micrographs showed great wettability of the reinforcement with matrix, and also showed the formation of needle shaped crystallites of 5MgO.MgCl2.8H2O (phase 5).

Abrasives; Sorel-SiC composite; cold crushing strength (CCS); needle shapedcrystallite; magnesium sulphate