Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.85, No.5, 1164-1168, 2002
Thermoreversible gelcasting: A novel ceramic processing technique
A new ceramic processing method, thermoreversible gelcasting (TRG), has been developed. The method uses a gelation process that can be reversed multiple times. Two Al2O3 systems have been explored with the use of a specific triblock copolymer to form a binding gel network. The mixture becomes a free-flowing liquid on heating above 60degreesC. However, on cooling below 60degreesC, the slurry instantaneously transforms to a physical gel. This process can be reversed easily (essentially with an infinite processing time window) while the solvent is present in the system, which is advantageous when trying to produce high-quality dense pieces if initial casting irregularities occur. Near-theoretically dense specimens have been produced with properties consistent with reported values of high-density Al2O3.