Electrophoretic deposition: From traditional ceramics to nanotechnology

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is attracting increasing interest as a materials processing technique for a wide range of technical applications. This technique enables the production of unique microstructures and nanostructures as well as novel and complex material combinations in a variety of macroscopic shapes, dimensions and arrangements starting from micron-sized or nanosized particles. This review presents a comprehensive summary of relevant recent work on EPD describing the application of the technique in the processing of several traditional and advanced materials (functional and structural ceramic coatings, composite and porous materials, laminated ceramics, functionally graded materials, thin films and nanostructured materials), with the intention to highlight how EPD evolved from being a technique restricted only to traditional ceramics to become an important tool in advanced materials processing and nanotechnology. Moreover the fundamental EPD mechanisms and novel theories proposed to clarify the processes involved are explained.