Improved Strength of Alumina Ceramic Gel and Green Body Based on Addition‐Esterification Reaction

Abstract

Ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDGE), a water‐soluble epoxy resin, was used as a complementary gelling agent to improve the strength of alumina green bodies gelcast using PIBM (a copolymer of isobutylene and maleic anhydride acting as both dispersant and gelling agent) gelling system. The effects of EGDGE on the gelling behavior of PIBM‐EGDGE aqueous solutions and alumina slurries, mechanical properties of the resultant alumina gels, green bodies, and sintered ceramics were evaluated. Gelation of both the solutions and the slurries was accelerated with the addition of EGDGE. The changes in storage modulus (G′) of the slurries during gelation were quite different from those of the solutions. With the addition of 0.6 wt% EGDGE, G′ of the gel from a slurry with 50 wt% solid loading and 0.3 wt% PIBM increased 63% (100 min of testing), and flexural strength of the resultant green body increased 167%. Such gels and green bodies are strong enough for subsequent processing. They resulted in presintered bodies with low porosity and sintered ceramics with high relative density and flexural strength.