Abstract
In aqueous slurry processing of silicon nitride, the interaction of dispersant and binder used as polymeric processing additives on the silicon nitride particle surface was studied to identify the effect of these processing polymeric additives on the ceramic powder processing. The adsoprtion isotherm study of anionic organic molecule as dispersant and nonionic organic molecules as binder of silicon nitricde was studied to investigate the effect of these processing organic additives on the physicochemical properties of silicon nitride particles. As anionic molecule adsorbed onto silicon nitrice surface, the IEP of silicon nitride shifted toward acidic pH and changed the stability of silicon nitride particle. However, the adsorption of binder as nonionic organic molecule onto silicon nitride surface did not changed the IEP but caused the decrease of electrostatic potentials of silicon nitride. These distinctive adsorption behaviors of organic additives on silicon nitride particles can be closely correlated to the stability of silicon nitride particles suspended in aqueous media.