Application of a Two-Dimensional Computer Simulation to Cake Growth in Slip Casting with Complicated-Shape Gypsum Molds

A two-dimensional computer simulation method, developed by the authors using the method of finite differences, was applied to estimate the cake growth in slip casting of alumina with a triangular gypsum mold and a box-type gypsum mold with a convex bottom. The cake growth patterns, water penetration patterns, water flow rate distributions, and pressure distributions were simulated in the molds and/or cakes. The simulated cake growth patterns were in good agreement with those observed experimentally in both molds. Moreover, the cake growths could be well understood from the results of the water flow rate distributions in each case. The present method is applicable to cake growth simulation in slip casting with complicated-shape gypsum molds.     

Micropatterned Ceramics by Casting into Polymer Molds

Patterned ceramic surfaces with a feature resolution in the micrometer range are generated by casting aqueous suspensions of high solids loadings onto nonporous polymer molds. The suspensions are solidified by evaporation of the solvent. High-quality line patterns with an aspect ratio of 1 and a pitch of 3 μm were fabricated for alumina, zirconia, cerium gadolinium oxide, and tin oxide powders using molds of poly(dimethylsiloxane). In addition, alumina parts were also created with molds made of a polyolefin (high-density polyethylene), a fluoropolymer (poly(tetrafluoroethylene- co -hexafluoropropylene)), and an epoxy system.     

Ultrasonic Real-Time Monitoring of Cake Structure during Slip Casting

An ultrasonic monitoring system was developed which utilizes two longitudinal transducers configured in a pulse-echo mode to monitor the structure of a growing slip cast cake. By applying appropriate volume conservation equations to the planar, uniaxial casting apparatus, it is shown that the cake permeability and local volume fraction of voids in a cake can be measured while casting is taking place. Values obtained from the ultrasound measurements were compared to traditional methods of measuring cake permeability and cake porosity. Reasonable agreement was found. Advantages of the ultrasound technique over traditional methods, as well as limitations of the technique, are discussed.     

基于石膏模的压力注浆工艺研究

以石膏模具为基础,研究了注浆压力、时间、泥浆性能等工艺条件对坯体性能的影响。提出了基于石膏模压力注浆工艺制度,为石膏模压力注浆机的研制提供了依据。     

Examination of Interpenetrating Polymer Networks of Polyurea in Silicone Molds Arising during Vacuum Casting Processes

We present an in-depth investigation of the aging effects in silicone molds for vacuum casting processes. Their lifetime is limited to a few production cycles due to contamination with the diisocyanate component of polyurethane casting materials. Using thermogravimetric analysis measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and helium-ion-microscopy the chemical and physical mechanisms of the aging process have been identified. It has been shown that a diffusion process of diisocyanate into the cavity surface leads to the formation of interpenetrating polymer networks of polyurea derivatives in silicone rubber. This has been proven by extracting and analyzing polyurea of low molecular weights from the silicone.     

Dispersion and Slip Casting of Hydroxyapatite

The dispersibility in deionized water of hydroxyapatite (HA) synthesized by a high-temperature (1000°C) solid-state reaction between tricalcium phosphate and calcium hydroxide was investigated as a function of the pH of the medium and the quantity of two dispersing agents (A = inorganic, B = organic) added to the slips. Although pH modification had a negligible effect on dispersibility, both of the dispersing agents produced a good dispersion at considerably higher concentrations (>2 wt% of HA). At optimum amounts (2–4 wt%) of the dispersing agents, the slips showed near-Newtonian flow behavior up to 45 wt% solids loading and non-Newtonian behavior at >50 wt%. By the optimal addition of dispersing agents and conditioning by ball milling, 60–67 wt% (32–39 vol%) solids-loaded HA slips could be cast into plaster molds to produce 50%–58% dense green bodies, which, in turn, sintered to 90%–94% density in the temperature range 1300°–1400°C. The sintered HA exhibited a three-point flexural strength of 40–60 MPa and a homogeneous microstructure, with interspersed microporosities.     

Mechanics of Pressure Slip Casting

The quantitative mechanics of pressure slip casting an aqueous Al₂O₃ slip deflocculated with an organic polyelectrolyte were investigated at 50 to 500 psi. The specific resistance, casting rate, and microstructural characteristics of the resultant cakes were especially sensitive to the electrophoretic mobility of the slip. The mechanochemical action of the polyelectrolyte in effecting deflocculation was somewhat different from that of simple ionic electrolytes.     

Experimental Analysis and Modeling of Slip Casting

The filtration mechanics of slip casting is extended to account for the filtrate transporting the finer particles to the bottom of the cake. Scanning electron micrographs of alumina (Al₂O₃) green microstructures illustrate that a higher concentration of fine particles can accumulate at the bottom section of a cake. The rheological behavior of alumina suspensions with different solids loadings, particle-size distributions, and amounts of deflocculant is discussed. Slip-casting experiments demonstrate that the rheology of a suspension greatly affects the green density and growth rate of the cake.     

Particle Crowding Analysis of Slip Casting

The particle crowding index and interparticle spacing terms were calculated for seven alumina suspensions. The particle crowding index was used to interpret the casting rate for the tested alumina suspensions; the index was successfully correlated with the casting rate for cakes that produced the same modes of porosity. Unfortunately, this index could not be correlated with the casting rate for the particle system that produced varied porosity as a function of composition. The interparticle spacing term was correlated with viscosity for particle size distributions between 31 and 0.1 μm. For particle size distributions extended to 44 μm, the viscosity could not be correlated with interparticle spacing, because the quantity of fine particles, rather than the particle packing, controlled the viscosity.     

氧化铝浇注料浆的老化行为

为了防止料浆老化、保护产品最终所希望的稳定性,确定悬浮液随时间的流变特性是必不可少的。     

骨瓷注浆泥料的配制

从生产实际出发并结合作者的实践经验，提出了在骨瓷注浆泥料配制中应注意的问题。     

SiC部件泥浆浇注工艺

本文论述了影响SiC泥浆性能的几个主要因素,运用SiC粉料Zeta电位随PH值变化曲线作指导,通过PH值调整和改变分散介质,着重研究了SiC泥浆稳定性、泥浆浇注样品的性能和显微结构,获得了浇注性能好、长时间稳定不沉淀的泥浆。分析了浇注过程中的各种影响因素,讨论了泥浆性状对浇注性能及样品烧结后力学性能的影响,最终浇注出大尺寸SiC陶瓷部件。     

Aqueous Slip Casting of Transparent Aluminum Oxynitride

Highly transparent Aluminum oxynitride (AlON) body has been produced using aqueous slip casting technique. High‐purity alumina and AlN were used as raw materials for the synthesis of single‐phase AlON powder. As‐synthesized AlON powder was surface modified to enable the AlON powders resistant to hydrolysis in water during aqueous slip casting. High solid loaded aqueous AlON slip was prepared for casting followed by drying and sintering to produce transparent AlON. Phase formation and stability was characterized by XRD, pH, and viscosity measurements. AlON powders before and after surface treatments were characterized. Sintered transparent AlON samples were characterized for their mechanical, microstructural, and optical properties. Sintered and polished AlON produced in this study has shown inline transparency up to 80% between 0.22 and 6 μm wavelength region.     

Slip Casting of Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals

The rheological and casting parameters of 3-mol%-yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) powder obtained by a wet-chemical coprecipitation route have been studied. Colloidal stability has been studied through zeta potential measurements. An organic surfactant has been used as deflocculant. Viscosity, casting rate, and green densities have been determined for suspensions with 28.2, 33.6, and 40.3 vol% solids content. Relative density, grain size, and t -ZrO₂ evolution versus temperature and soaking time are also reported.     

SiC Products Formed by Slip Casting Method

The paper presents results of research designed to obtain a dense silicon carbide materials shaped by slip casting of aqueous suspensions. Aluminum oxide and yttrium oxide were used as sintering additives in a weight ratio of 3:2 in an amount of 10% by mass relative to the dry weight. The slip was electrostatically stabilized by adjusting pH. Measurement of the zeta potential as a function of pH and viscosity tests as a function of pH and volume fraction of the solid phase allowed for making selection of the suspension parameters, such as the solid volume loading (30%) and pH of ~ 8.5. Results of these investigations confirmed that it is possible to produce pseudoplastic slips suitable for slip casting. The increase in the strength of green bodies, allowing for their green processing, was obtained by addition of a commercial acrylic binder. SiC casts were sintered at 2050°C, which led to materials with high density and fine, homogeneous microstructure. The fracture toughness test revealed a positive effect of the sintering additives on K_Ic of the material, increasing its value to approximately 5 MPa·m^1/2.     

Two-Dimensional Simulation of Cake Growth in Slip Casting

A two-dimensional computer simulation of cake growth was studied for the slip casting of alumina with a gypsum mold. Based on the Adcock and McDowall model, the method of finite differences was applied to the simulation, and numerical calculations were performed for the cake growth on the inside wall of a rectangular, box-type mold by using the cake-growth controlling parameters that were obtained experimentally. Good agreement was observed between the experimental and calculated cake growth in the vicinity of the boundary between the gypsum mold and the silicon rubber and at the rectangular corner of the gypsum mold. The present simulation method is expected to be useful for estimating cake growth on molds with complicated shapes in slip casting.