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A method for gelcasting high-strength alumina ceramics with low shrinkage

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Abstract

A new kind of nontoxic, water-soluble copolymer consisting of isobutylene and maleic anhydride was used to gelcast alumina ceramics at room temperature in air. The polymer acts as both a dispersant and a gelling agent. The influence of the polymer on zeta potential, rheological and gelling behavior of the alumina slurry was studied. Copolymers with a lower molecular weight had greater dispersing ability. Copolymers with a larger molecular weight had greater gelling ability. Alumina slurries with solids loading up to 58 vol% were prepared by adding copolymer (0.3 wt%, relative to the powder) with both short and long molecular chains. Increasing solids loading from 50 to 58 vol% decreased the linear shrinkage from 4.63% to 1.50% after drying, and from 14.51% to 13.18% after sintering, respectively. A solids loading of 56 vol% was associated with the highest flexural strength, as high as 534 MPa.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Kuraray Co. Ltd. and Kao Co. Ltd. of Japan for donating organic materials. The authors would like to thank Mr. Yoshihiro Yoshioka of Kuraray Polymer Co., Ltd., Japan, for his helpful discussion and donation of organic materials for this study. We also thank Prof. Hidehiro Kamiya from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan, for his helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, People’s Republic of China

    Yi Sun, Shunzo Shimai, Xiang Peng, Manjiang Dong & Shiwei Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Yi Sun & Xiang Peng

  3. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 183-8538, Japan

    Shunzo Shimai & Hidehiro Kamiya

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  1. Yi Sun
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  2. Shunzo Shimai
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  3. Xiang Peng
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  4. Manjiang Dong
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  5. Hidehiro Kamiya
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  6. Shiwei Wang
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Correspondence to Shiwei Wang.

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Sun, Y., Shimai, S., Peng, X. et al. A method for gelcasting high-strength alumina ceramics with low shrinkage. Journal of Materials Research 29, 247–251 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.381

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.381

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