Topic 4.4 - Processing of Ceramics

4.
4 Processing of Ceramics
- Slip Casting
Materials Technology
Processing of Ceramics (Slip Casting)
Slip Casting
Steps in a Slip Casting Process

Slip Casting
• Slip is a ceramic powder suspension produced from mixing of
fine ceramic powders, water and specialty chemicals to
disperse the powders.
• Moulds used for casting are made from plaster and they are
porous.
Slip
Plaster mould
Slip Casting
• Slip is poured into the moulds and allow to sit in the mould for
a defined period of time.
• The ceramic particles will deposit onto the wall of the mould to
form a shell.
• Excess slip is then poured out of the mould.
Forming of ceramic Draining of excess slip

Pouring of slip shell in mould
Slip Casting
• Water is removed from the ceramic shell through absorption by

the porous plaster mould via capillary action.
• Once the powder is completely dry, the mould is opened to
release the ceramic shell.
• The dried ceramic shell is
known as a green body.
• The green body is extremely
fragile.
Opening of mould to release green body

Slip Casting
• To strengthen and harden the green body, it has to be fired

inside a furnace.
• This process is known as sintering.
Loading of green body into a furnace for Sintering (temperatures can go as high
sintering as 1400˚C)
Slip Casting
• During sintering, the individual ceramic powders in the green
body cast are fused together to form a single body giving rise to
the final ceramic product.
Changes in the microstructure of the ceramic part during sintering

Slip Casting
Ceramicware produced from slip casting process

4.4 Processing of Ceramics
- Tape Casting
Processing of Ceramics (Tape Casting)
Tape Casting
• Process used to produce ceramic tapes and sheets.
• Such tapes and sheets are in the green-state and can be
used to form the shape of the final required ceramic
product.
• The ceramic products will
then have to be fired in a
kiln to consolidate the
powder structure into a
solid body.
Thin wall ceramic products

Tape Casting
Ceramic tape
Slip
Carrier film
Tape casting process
Tape Casting
Tape casting machine

Tape Casting
• The slip consists of a powdered ceramic material together with

a polymer binder and solvents.
• The binder holds the powders together and the solvent helps
to disperse the powders and allow the mixture to have a fluid
consistency for spreading.
Producing the ceramic / binder (polymer) slurry (slip)

Tape Casting
• The slip is poured into a reservoir and is coated onto the

moving carrier film (conveyor).
• The doctor blade spreads and controls the thickness of the
cast ceramic slip.
Doctor blade
Carrier film
- Ceramic Injection Moulding
Processing of Ceramics (Ceramic Injection
Moulding)
• Similar process to plastic injection moulding except for the
injected material which is a ceramic/binder mix.
Overview of Ceramic Injection Moulding process

Moulding)
• The feedstock for injection moulding is produced by mixing
ceramic powder, a polymer binder and other additives
(including lubricants) using a blender and then extruding and
pelletizing it into granules and pellets.
• The pellets are then fed into the injection moulding machine.
Ceramic powder / binder granules

Moulding)
• The heat in the barrel of the injection moulding machine
remelts the polymer binder and allows the material to be
injected into the mould.
• The binder is then cooled and resolidified.
• The part produced is a green

part consisting of the
polymeric binder holding
together the ceramic powders
to give rise to the shape of the
part.
Moulding)
• The green part is placed into a furnace for the debinding
process where the polymer binder is being burnt out.
• Once debinding is completed, the

part is extremely fragile. At this
stage the part is known as a
brown part.
• The brown part is then heated at
a higher temperature for the
sintering process to take place.
• During sintering, the individual
ceramic particles are
consolidated to form a unified
body.
Moulding)

Moulding)

Moulding)
- Powder Pressing
Processing of Ceramics (Powder Pressing)
• The feedstock for powder pressing is a mixture of ceramic
powder, a polymer binder and other additives (including
lubricants).
• The powders are fed into a mould (punch and die sets).
• The punch is then used to compress and compact the powder.
The powder will take on the shape of the mould.
Powder blends
Powder compaction using a punch and die set

www.americanpiezo.com/blog/ceramic-manufacturing-series-pressing-pzt-
powders/
Powder compaction using a punch and die set

Filling of die (mould) with

powder
After compaction
Part ejection
27
• Compaction is carried out at room temperature.
• The result of compaction is a part formed by the powder
known as a green compact.
• The green compact although fragile is strong enough for
handling.
• The green compact will need to be subjected to further heating
processes to consolidate the powders into a single solid
structure.
• The is conducted in 2 stages,
 Stage 1: Debinding
 Stage 2: Sintering
• Stage 1 Debinding
 Removal of polymer binder and other additives leaving
behind a ceramic powder framework.
 Part after debinding is called a brown part.
 The brown part is extremely fragile.
• Stage 2: Sintering
 Sintering is conducted in a high temperature furnace.
 The powders are consolidated (fused) together to form a
single solid body.
Sintering time
 As sintering involves the movement of atoms across the

boundaries of the individual ceramic powder particles, ample
sintering time has to be given for such movements to occur.
Thank You

Topic 4.4 - Processing of Ceramics

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4.

Steps in a Slip Casting Process

Forming of ceramic Draining of excess slip

• Water is removed from the ceramic shell through absorption by

Opening of mould to release green body

• To strengthen and harden the green body, it has to be fired

Changes in the microstructure of the ceramic part during sintering

Ceramicware produced from slip casting process

Thin wall ceramic products

Tape casting machine

• The slip consists of a powdered ceramic material together with

Producing the ceramic / binder (polymer) slurry (slip)

• The slip is poured into a reservoir and is coated onto the

Overview of Ceramic Injection Moulding process

Ceramic powder / binder granules

• The part produced is a green

• Once debinding is completed, the

Overview of Ceramic Injection Moulding process

Overview of Ceramic Injection Moulding process

Powder compaction using a punch and die set

Powder compaction using a punch and die set

Filling of die (mould) with

 As sintering involves the movement of atoms across the

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