Correlation between slurry rheology, green density and sintered density of tape cast yttria stabilised zirconia

An attempt has been made to investigate the role of dispersant and powder dimension on the slurry rheology and the corresponding effect on green as well as sintered densities of tape cast yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Two commonly used dispersants, viz. menhaden fish oil (MFO) and phosphate ester (PE) have been used in conjunction with YSZ powders of different particle sizes. It has been found that for this system, PE is a much better dispersant than MFO and the best dispersion is obtained with finer YSZ powders. The slurry rheology has a marked effect on the green as well as subsequent sintered densities of the tapes.