Book excerpt: The only book to provide a complete survey -- from the crystallographic fundamentals right up to recent high-tech applications in aerospace technology. Following a general introduction to the topic, the authors go on to cover the crystal chemistry of mullite and related phases, as well as its basic properties, phase equilibria and stability. One whole section is devoted to the synthesis and processing of mullite ceramics, while later ones cover mullite coatings, fibers and matrix composites. For materials scientists, solid state chemists and physicists, crystallographers and mineralogists.