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Homogeneous introduction of organic additives is a key of ceramic powder processing. Addition of organics to ceramic slurries holds advantages compared to dry processing like organic content reduction and a more homogeneous additive distribution on the particle surface.
Investigations of the alumina slurries were primarily based on zeta potential measurements and sedimentation analysis by optical centrifugation. Both methods were combined to determine a suitable additive type, amount and composition, whereas the spray drying suitability has been ensured by viscosity measurements. Granules, yielded by spray drying of such ideally dispersed alumina slurries, are mostly hollow and possess a hard shell. Those granules cannot easily be processed and can only hardly be destroyed in the following shaping step, leading to sinter bodies with many defects and poor strength and density.
The precise slurry destabilization, carried out after ideally dispersing the ceramic powder, shows a strong influence on the drying behavior of the granules and hence on the granule properties. A promising degree of destabilization and partial flocculation was quantified by optical centrifugation and resulted in improved granule properties. Spray drying the destabilized alumina slurries yielded homogeneous “non-hollow” granules without the above mentioned hard shell. Sample bodies produced of these granules exhibited a reduction of defect size and number, leading to better results for sinter body density and strength.
The positive effect of the slurry destabilization has been further improved, by exchanging the atomizing unit from a two-fluid one to an ultrasound atomizer with only minor slurry adjustments necessary. The controlled destabilization and ultrasound atomization of the ceramic slurry show excellent transferability for zirconia and even ZTA (zirconia toughened alumina) composite materials.
Advanced spray drying process by controlled slurry destabilization and ultrasonic atomization
(2017)
Spray drying of ceramic slurries aims for soft and free-flowing granules with homogenous microstructure suitable for uniaxial and isostatic pressing. A stable and continuous spray drying process of slurries with maximized solids content is a further development target, since a reduction of the energy intensive drying procedure is desirable.
First part of the investigation focuses on the development of an appropriate zirconia slurry for spray drying with optimized organic additive contents (dispersant + binder + pressing and lubricating agents). Characterization and improvement of slurries are based on zeta potential measurements and investigations of the sedimentation behavior in an optical centrifuge. Therefor the slurries were spray dried with a conventional spray dryer with a two stream nozzle run in fountain mode. The controlled destabilization of the slurries was introduced, since the unwanted formation of hard granules with donut-like shape could be circumvented. Spray drying of such modified slurries resulted in soft granules without voids and finally leaded to sintered bodies with improved microstructure, density and bending strength.
Expectedly, the destabilization process causes a significant increase in viscosity of the ceramic slurry. Hence, an alternative spraying concept utilizing an ultrasonic nozzle was tested. Indeed, the ultrasonic nozzle seems able to atomize slurries with viscosities beyond the capability of the regular two stream nozzles due to the slurry’s shear thinning behavior. In second part of the investigation the integration of the ultrasonic nozzle in a commercial spray dryer is shown and first results of the spraying tests are discussed. Continuous spraying processes of highly viscous alumina, zirconia and ZTA slurries were realized over an extended production period.
Efficient studies of scarce or expensive materials require material saving processes. Therefore, a high yield concept for small batch preparation of ready-to-press powder is exemplarily presented for yttria stabilized nano-zirconia (d50 < 50 nm).
The concept involves small batch preparation in an ultrasound resonator, dispersant selection based on zeta potential measurements, evaluation of slurry stability using an analytical centrifuge, and preparation of ready-to-press powder by freeze drying.
Freeze drying offers key advantages. Process efficiency and high yield above 95 % are independent of sample size. The dried product does not require further mechanical treatment like milling or grinding. Side effects like migration of additives are avoided.
An optimized freeze drying process tolerates slurries with moderate stability. Thus, efforts for slurry development can be reduced. Generally, identifying a suitable dispersing agent requires only 3-5 zeta potential measurements. Slurry stability is rechecked using an analytical centrifuge, which also accounts for steric stabilization. An ultrasound resonator is used to disperse the powder without contamination, which becomes critical for small batches.
The described route is exemplarily presented for the development of an additive recipe for nano-sized zirconia powder, targeting for good pressing behavior and high green density. Therefore, a variety of binding and lubricating agents were tested.
Following the presented route, 80 g zirconia powder were sufficient to conduct a study including slurry development and five sample sets with varying composition, each set comprising five discs (d = 20 mm and h = 2 mm).
The homogeneous introduction of organic additives is a prerequisite for good processability of ceramic powders during dry pressing. The addition of organic additives by wet route via ceramic slurries offers advantages over dry processing. The organic content can be reduced and a more homogeneous distribution of the additives on the particle surface is achieved. In addition to the measurements of zeta potential and viscosity, sedimentation analysis by optical centrifugation was also tested and successfully used to characterize the ceramic slurries and accurately evaluate of the suitability of different types, amounts, and compositions of organic additives.
Spray drying of well-stabilized slurries usually results in mostly hollow granules with a hard shell leading to sintered bodies with defects and reduced strength and density. By purposefully degrading the slurry stability after dispersion of the ceramic powder, the drying behavior of the granules in the spray drying process and thus the granule properties can be influenced. Destabilization of the slurry and thus partial flocculation was quantified by optical centrifugation. Spray drying of the destabilized alumina slurries resulted in "non-hollow" granules without the detrimental hard shell and thus improved granule properties.
Further improvement of the granules was achieved by installing ultrasonic atomization in the spray dryer. A narrower granule size distribution was achieved, which had a positive effect on, among other things, the flowability of the granules.
Specimens produced from this granules had fewer defects of smaller size, leading to better results for the density and strength of the sintered bodies. The observations made for alumina could be transferred to zirconia and as well to ZTA with 20 wt% zirconia.