Abstract: A cordierite body is produced by providing cordierite-forming raw materials. The raw materials are intimately blended with effective amount of vehicle and forming aids to impart plastic formability and green strength to the raw materials and form a plastic mixture. A green body is formed which is dried and heated from room temperature up to a maximum temperature of about 1360° C. to 1435° C. at an average heating rate of at least about 315° C. per hour and held at maximum temperature for about 0.05 to 4.4 hours. The total heating time from room temperature to the end of the hold at the maximum temperature is less than about 4.5 hours. The resulting body is predominately cordierite, having a mean coefficient of thermal expansion from about 25° C. to 800° C. of less than about 15×10−7° C.−1 in at least one direction.

Abstract: A cordierite body is produced by providing cordierite-forming raw materials as talc, calcined talc, MgO-forming component, magnesium aluminate spinel, SiO.sub.2 -forming component, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -forming component, kaolin, calcined kaolin, and/or mullite, such that the quantity R is less than about 10.156. R is0.140 (wt. % mullite powder)+0.433 (wt. % SiO.sub.2 powder)+0.0781 (wt. % alpha Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder)(mean particle size of alpha Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder)+0.0872 (wt. % Al(OH).sub.3 powder)(mean particle size of Al(OH).sub.3 powder)+0.00334 (wt. % SiO.sub.2 powder)(wt. % spinel powder)+2.330 log.sub.10 (1+(wt. % MgO-forming component)(wt. % calcined kaolin))-0.244 (wt. % MgO-forming component)-0.167 (wt. % dispersible high surface area Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -forming component)+1.1305 (heating time at maximum temperature).sup.-1.

Abstract: A cordierite body is produced by providing cordierite-forming raw materials as talc, calcined talc, MgO-forming component, magnesium aluminate spinel, SiO.sub.2 -forming component, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -forming component, kaolin, calcined kaolin, and/or mullite, such that the quantity R is less than about 1.207. R is0.253 (wt. % mullite powder)+0.278(wt. % SiO.sub.2 powder)+0.00590(wt. % SiO.sub.2 powder)(wt. % spinel powder)-0.0193(wt. % SiO.sub.2 powder)(heating time at maximum temperature)-0.348(heating time at maximum temperature)-0.00237(mean heating rate from 25.degree. C. to 1275.degree. C.)+0.0736(wt. % alpha Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder)(mean particle size of alpha Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder)+0.0892(wt. % Al(OH).sub.3 powder)(mean particle size of Al(OH).sub.3 powder)-0.215(wt. % dispersible high surface area Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 -forming component)+2.392(log.sub.10 (1+(wt. % MgO-forming component)(wt. % calcined kaolin))).