Fabrication of ceramics with highly controlled microstructures by advanced fine powder processing

Abstract

Ceramics with highly controlled microstructures at all levels from micrometer to nanometer order are required to improve their properties. To realize such ceramics, advances in powder processing are indispensable. Powder processing involves the preparation of fine particles, surface modification, consolidation, and sintering. The colloidal processing using fine particles has received particular attention as a means of achieving ceramics with highly controlled microstructures. Here, the preparation of fine-grained ceramics through a well-dispersed suspension and the preparation of porous ceramics and nanocomposites through heterocoagulated suspensions are demonstrated. Then novel colloidal processing under an external field such as a strong magnetic field and/or an electric field and the fabrication of textured ceramics and laminated composites are demonstrated.