Cellulose acetate based gelcasting process for Gd-containing ceramic bodies

Abstract

A new route of gelcasting is applied to prepare Gd 2O 3 and Gd 2O 2S as well as Al 2O 3 ceramic parts, i.e. thin plates and fibres. Cellulose acetate is used as monomer. Instead of a water-based solvent system, ethylenediamine as solvent is employed; therefore, moisture- and air-sensitive ceramic powders can be processed, such as Gd 2O 2S. The presented work focuses on the characterisation of the slurry by rheological and chemical measurements, the polymerisation process and the first results of the fabrication of ceramic bodies. Both green and sintered parts were investigated using electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry and physisorption.