Effects of Starch on Properties of Alumina-based Ceramic Cores

Abstract

In order to improve the poor leachability of alumina-based ceramic cores, different amount of starch was added to the specimens as pore former. Alumina-based ceramic cores were prepared by hot injection technology using corundum powder as base material, paraffin wax and beeswax as plasticizer, silica powder and magnesium oxide powder as mineralizing agent, wherein the parameters of the hot injection process were as follows:temperature of the slurry was 90℃, hot injection pressure was 0.5 MPa and holding time was 25 s. The effects of starch content on the properties of alumina-based ceramic cores were studied and discussed. The results indicate that during sintering period, the loss of starch in the specimens makes porosity of the alumina-based ceramic cores increase. When starch content increases, the room-temperature flexural strength of the ceramic cores reduces and the apparent porosity increases; the volatile solvent increases and the bulk density decreases. After being sintered at 1560℃ for 2.5 h, room-temperature flexural strength of the alumina-based ceramic cores with starch content of 8%(mass fraction) is 24.8 MPa, apparent porosity is 47.98% when the volatile solvent is 1.92 g/h and bulk density is 1.88 g/cm3, the complex properties are optimal.

Keywords

• alumina-based ceramic cores
• starch
• room-temperature flexural strength
• apparent porosity
• volatile solvent