Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.84, No.11, 2537-2541, 2001
Aqueous processing of titanium carbide green sheets
TIC sheets were prepared by an aqueous tape-casting process. The zeta potential measurement showed that the isoelectric point for TiC powders in the absence of dispersant had a pH value of similar to3.3. According to the surface properties of TiC powders, a cationic polymer PEI was selected as dispersant. In the presence of dispersant, the isoelectric point increased to a pH value of similar to 10.4. The slip stability was determined by visual observation of the fluidity of the slip as well as the settling of the powders. Results showed that the amount of dispersant required to achieve a minimum of viscosity for 50 vol% suspensions was equal to 1.2 wt%. In the absence and presence of dispersant, stable slips could be obtained in the pH ranges 7-9 and 11-12, respectively. The rheological measurements showed that with PEI as dispersant, TIC suspensions exhibited a small time dependent behavior. With polyvinyl alcohol as binder and glycerol as plasticizer, suspensions showed a thixotropic feature. As-cast tapes were dried in air at room temperature. The results showed that it was possible to fabricate homogeneous green tapes with smooth surfaces rom these suspensions.