[nanoPost] Complex-shaped ceramics

Company UK

Complex-shaped ceramics are traditionally produced by casting a ceramics suspension in a plaster mould (the porous mould taking up the water to lead a solid cast). For various reasons this is not efficient, environmentally friendly. There is great interest in developing shaping techniques that use very high solids content slurries (still just pourable) and then causing them to solidify in a non-porous mould.

There are many methods of achieving solidification, one of which is to use starch as an additive. One the ceramic suspension is in a mould, the temperature is risen. This causes the starch to swell by taking up free water and so the suspension become solid. After shaping the item is dried and calcined. It is at the calcinations stage that problems arise : The starch granules will decompose and leave voids that affect fired properties.