Tough ceramic preparation using slip casting and templated grain growth

Abstract

Ceramics are currently being tested and examined in order to achieve complex structures and a combination of uncommon properties, which is inspired by the study of biomaterials. Magnetically Assisted Slip Casting and Templated Grain Growth are the two processes which combines to produce densely packed aligned grains with desired mechanical properties, such as high toughness, hardness and strength. The two processes involves a magnetic setup and high temperature sintering. Two experiments will be conducted to further study how these processes can hopefully produce bioinspired ceramics with uncommon mechanical properties. The first experiment was to determine whether a sample’s grain alignment and different platelets sizes used would affect its density. The samples being prepared will have three different alignments, namely random, horizontal and vertical alignment. The three different platelet sizes used are 02025, 05070 and 07070. The densities of the samples will then be compared. The second experiment was to prepare multilayer structures with different grain sizes and orientations. Mechanical testing will be done to determine their properties, however, this will be studied in another project. By optimising the factors which leads to a successful preparation of multi-layered samples, such as a sample’s thickness, concentration, drying time and more, the near future could see multi-layered ceramics with uncommon mechanical properties.