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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.
The influence of the atomization technique on the suitability of granules for dry pressing is the focus of the presented investigations. Therefore, destabilized alumina, zirconia, and zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) slurries were spray dried and the obtained granules were used to fabricate green and finally sintered bodies for evaluation.
Granules made in a laboratory spray dryer with a two-fluid nozzle served as a reference. An ultrasonic atomizer was integrated into the same spray dryer and the influence on the granule properties was evaluated. Untapped bulk density, granule size distribution, and flowability are among the evaluated granule-related properties as well as the granule yield which is used as an indicator of the process efficiency.
Yield and flowability as most important granule properties are clearly improved when atomization is realized with ultrasound. The investigated sinter body properties include porosity, sinter body density, and biaxial strength and are as well positively affected by switching the atomization technique to ultrasound. Therefore, the Approach to improve the compressibility of granules by ultrasonic atomization, which leads to an improved microstructure, density, and strength of sintered bodies, has proven to be successful for single-component ceramics (alumina and zirconia) as well as for the multicomponent ceramic ZTA.
The granules commonly yielded by spray drying procedures exhibit a hard shell and an irregular, dimpled shape, which is often described as donut-like morphology. Sintered parts produced from such granules suffer from microstructural defects and reduced mechanical properties resulting from these disadvantageous granule properties.
Using the example of alumina, zirconia and zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) batches, this paper shows that the morphology of the granules can be tuned by adjusting slurry stability. High zeta potential is essential to optimally disperse the particles. But to achieve spherical and soft granules the electrostatic repulsion forces between the particles should be reduced before spray granulation. Electrostatic repulsion forces were changed with the addition of nitric acid. Measurements of zeta potential and viscosity, as well as sedimentation investigations with an optical centrifuge were used for precise slurry assessment as a major precondition for optimal and reproducible adjustment of slurries before spray drying. Sedimentation analysis using an optical centrifuge was performed to investigate different influences like that of additive composition, solids content or pH-value on the sedimentation behavior. Adequately flocculated slurries lead to homogeneous, soft granules that can be easily deformed and pressed. The fraction of donut-shaped particles and the rigidity of granules were reduced. Consequently, the sintered parts produced from these granulates show improvements regarding porosity, pore size distribution, sintered density and biaxial strength.
Dry pressing of ceramic materials requires homogeneously soft granules with good flowability to allow rapid die filling and to avoid packing defects. Spray-drying granulation appears to be the best method for obtaining granules with high flowability in industrial scale. But, strength reducing internal microstructural defects caused by spray-dried granules with hollow and hard shells are often observed using nano and/or multi-component starting powders.
Using the example of a ZTA composite, the potential of slurry optimization, ultrasound atomization and infrared drying for better granule properties and compaction behavior were investigated. Starting granules produced in a conventional spray dryer (Niro, Denmark) with a two fluid nozzle showed typical defects like large central pores and dimples.
The early step of slurry preparation already possesses an essential optimization possibility in the form of stability adjustments. Granule compaction was clearly improved upon a specific reduction in slurry stability. The second optimization opportunity to improve the granule quality was the atomization step. Implementation of an ultrasound atomizing unit into the conventional spray dryer positively affected granule size distribution and therefor flowability and as well granule yield. But, a combination of both process optimizations delivered the best sinter bodies with highest density and strength due to further reduction in maximum size and fraction of pores.
As last step of a spray drying process, the drying is the focus of further investigations. A current setup implying a spray dryer prototype utilizes stacked infrared heater in a countercurrent setup delivering a further increase in granule yield and enduring spraying process stability.
Spray drying based granulation processes aim for flowable granules neither containing voids nor hard shells thus leading to a homogenous microstructure in the green and sinter bodies without strength reducing large pores. The increase of the specific surface area due to the utilization of finer powders as raw materials makes the production of granules of demanded quality more sophisticated. Innovations regarding additives as well as process engineering are therefore required.
While conventional spray granulation processes of ceramic materials are based on rotational, one stream or two stream nozzles for nebulization, the investigations in the ZIM project concentrate on the applicability of an ultra sound atomizer unit. A spray dryer comprised of the aforementioned ultra sound atomization unit implemented in a commercial spray dryer (Niro, Denmark) was used as test system. Potential advantages of the ultra sound nebulization are investigated for model systems of alumina, zirconia and a ZTA composite while focusing on solids content, yield, pressability and granule properties (size, size distribution, flowability, shape and microstructure) as well as the final sinter body properties (density, microstructure and flexural strength).
First ultra sound spray drying experiments yielded granules with excellent processability. Spray drying of identical slurries, as before tested and optimized for a two stream nozzle atomization process, resulted in a more suitable size distribution for dry pressing (less particles below 20 µm) and a higher yield. Furthermore, sinter bodies produced of ultra sound granules seem to have less large pores and a more homogenous microstructure
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.