MME 295:

Engineering Materials – II

Lecture 05
Production of Traditional
Ceramics :
2. Ceramic forming
Figure showing typical steps encountered
in the processing of ceramics.
 Powder Processing
1. Powder Preparation and Sizing

 Control of particle size and particle size distribution is required

to achieve the optimum properties for the intended applications.
Each application has specific requirements.

 techniques for powder preparation can be divided into just three

basic types:
 Mechanical
 Chemical
 Vapor phase
 Mechanical Methods

Figure showing schematic operations of jaw crusher,

rotary crusher, hammer mill and ball mill.
 Spray Drying

• Powder production
from solution

•Fine droplet produced

by an atomizer are
sprayed into a drying
chamber and the
powder is collected.
 Sol Gel Processing

• Colloidal particles or molecules are suspended in a

liquid or solution is called Sol.
• Mixed with another liquid which causes formation of
a continuous three dimensional network called Gel.
• The gel usually consist of a weak skeleton of
amorphous material containing a small
interconeected network of small liquid filled pores.
• Then drying is carried out.
 Nanopowder by vapour phase reaction

•Material is evaporated from two sources and condense in the gas phase.
•The condensate is transported by convection to the liquid nitrogen cold
finger. The cluster are scraped from the cold finger and collected
 Powder Processing
Powder Sizing

Table for ASTM Standard Screen Sizes

Mesh No. Sieve Opening, mm Mesh No. Sieve Opening, m

4 4.76 100 147
“MESH”
6 3.36 size of a 150 104
10 2.00 screen 170 88
means
12 1.68 number of 200 74
16 1.69 openings 230 63
per linear
20 0.84 inch of the 270 53
40 0.42 screen 325 44
60 0.25 400 37
 Powder Processing
Body Preparation

 To achieve a final component having uniform properties

and no distortion requires a uniform particle compact.

 To achieve the required uniformity and to minimise severe

fabrication flaws that can occur in latter processing steps,
the powder usually requires special treatments or
processing prior to shaping.
 Forming Methods
• Forming or shaping methods can be divided into three
basic categories:
1. Dry or semi dry pressing (hot pressing, Uniaxial Pressing
,Isostatic pressing)
2. Casting (slip casting , Tape casting)
3. hydroplastic forming (jiggering, Extrusion)
Structural ceramic
forming methods
1. Dry, or semi-dry pressing
(a) Uniaxial pressing
(b) Isostatic pressing
2. Hydro plastic forming -
(a) Extrusion
Whiteware
forming methods
1. Hydroplastic forming
(a) Hand throwing
(b) Jiggering
(c) Roller head
(d) Ram pressing
2. Slip casting
Structural Ceramics Forming
Dry, Semi-dry Pressing

 Mechanical or hydraulic presses can be used, ranging up to

around 100 tonne pressure.
 Powder, including binders, plasticizer and lubricants, are placed
in die, and compacted into the desired shape by pressure.
 Mixing coarse and fine particles to increase the degree of
compaction and minimize the void space.
 The green compact can then be handled and machined, if
required, before drying and sintering.
Structural Ceramics Forming
Powder Compaction

Uniaxial
Pressing

Isostatic Hot
Pressing Pressing
 Structural Ceramics Forming
Hydroplastic Forming
• Hydroplastic ceramic mass is pushed
through a die orifice.
• Often air in the die is removed to
enhance the density. Mass
• Bricks, pipes, ceramic blocks, and tiles
are all commonly fabricated using
hydroplastic forming.
 Whiteware Production
Slip Casting Process
 Suspension of clay particles and additives in water is known
as the slip.
 Slip poured into porous plaster of Paris mould by which water
is absorbed; a solid layer is deposited on the mould wall,
forming the desired shape.
 Layer thickness depends on setting time; hollow objects are
formed by draining mould (drain casting); if the mould is not
drained during the process, a solid component results (solid
casting).
 On drying, the cast shrinks and pulls away from the mould
wall, permitting release and extraction of by disassembling
the mould.
 Used for artwork, laboratory ware, sanitaryware, and also for
engineering ceramic components.
Whiteware Production
2. Slip Casting Process

Solid
Casting

Drain
Casting
 Jiggering
• (1) Wet clay slug is placed on a convex mold;
(2) batting; and (3) a jigger tool imparts the
final product shape
 Introduction to Drying
 In most ceramic forming processes, finely granulated
solid materials are intimately mixed with a suitable
proportion of moisture to develop adequate workability.

 When shaping is complete, the water ceases to perform

an useful function and must be removed so that the
shape becomes sufficiently rigid to withstand handling.
 Introduction to Drying
 Water present in formed ceramic body can be
divided into four parts.

(1) Shrinkage water

The amount of water that is present between the particles
as a film and cause shrinkage during its removal. The
volume of shrinkage water is equal to the volume
shrinkage of the ware.
 Introduction to Drying
(2) Pore water
When the particles touches each other after shrinkage, water
still containing at the pores between the particles is called
pore water.
(3) Hygroscopic water
The amount of water held at the surface of clay by week van
der Waal bond is called hygroscopic water. This water is not
removed during drying.
(4) Chemically bonded water
This water remains in the body and held by true
chemical bond. This water cannot be removed during
drying.