Fabrication of high solid loading silicon carbide slurry using UV curable resin

Abstract

The optimum preparation conditions to obtain well-dispersed and fluidized SiC slurry with UV curable resin were investigated. According to the rheological study of non-aqueous SiC slurries, the commercially available cationic surfactant was effective to improve the dispersibility and fluidity of SiC slurries, and the optimum amount of the dispersant was revealed to be 3 mass% to SiC. Based on the results of adsorption isotherm and zeta potential, steric hindrance of the cationic surfactant, which adsorbs to the surface of SiC particles, is considered to be the principal mechanism to improve the dispersibility. The composite sheet prepared from SiC slurries with the solid loading of 34 vol% was successfully solidified by the stereolithography apparatus for providing the planar irradiation of UV.