Effect of Particle Size on Zirconia Gel-Casting Process

The fabrication process of zirconia gel-casting was studied to obtain dense zirconia on a large scale or with complicated shapes. As an experimental parameter, two different particle sizes ($0.1{\mu}m$ and $0.7{\mu}m$) of zirconia powder were applied to the gel-casting process. The viscosity behavior of slurries incorporating 40 vol% of zirconia powder was examined as a function of the dispersant content and the solid load to determine the optimum dispersion conditions. In addition, the gelation time with an initiator, the de-binding behavior, and the main factors affecting densification were examined. The densification of the gel-casted zirconia green body depended on the mixing ratio between the monomer and the dimer and on the zirconia particle size. A green body with a small particle size of $0.1{\mu}m$ showed less densification, with a relative density of 93%. This may be due to the excess number of bubbles created through interactions between the larger particle surface and polymer additives during the ball-milling process.