Aluminium titanate (Al_2TiO_5) is an excellent refractory and thermal shock resistant material due to its relatively low thermal expansion coefficient and high melting point. However, Al_2TiO_5 unstable and undergoes a eutectoid-like decomposition to α-Al_2O_3 and TiO_2 (rutile) at the temperature range of 900-1280℃. In this paper, we describe the use of high-temperature neutron diffraction to study (a) the phenomenon of self-recovery in decomposed Al_2TiO_5, and (b) the role of grain size on the rate of isothermal decomposition at 1100℃. It is shown that the process of decomposition in Al_2TiO_5 is reversible whereby self-recovery occurs readily when decomposed Al_2TiO_5 is re-heated above 1300℃, and the rate of phase decomposition increases as the grain size decreases.
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