Additive to Improve the Plasticity and Drying of Large Ceramics

SBIR研究致力于一种新技术，用于改善水性陶瓷配方的工作性能，并提高由这些材料制造的产品的产量。这种材料广泛应用于从陶瓷基板到浴室设备，再到用于高压输电线路的整体绝缘子的各种应用中。虽然使用了许多添加剂来改善粘土的操纵性，但大型陶瓷制品在干燥过程中因破裂而造成的损失仍处于非常高的水平。最近，我们发明了一种新的添加剂，经我们的中试研究证明，它可以极大地提高某些用于装饰陶瓷的水基粘土的干燥速度和均匀程度。然而，关于这种添加剂的作用机理以及如何成功地将其应用于工业陶瓷中，人们几乎一无所知。因此，计划进行一项科学研究，以探索这种新型添加剂与水基粘土的相互作用，并开发这一机理的模型。然后，该模型将被用来指导成功地将这种添加剂用于具有较大商业市场的选定陶瓷所需的实验工作。

The SBIR research addresses a new technique for improving the working properties of water-based ceramic formulations and the production yields for objects manufactured from these materials. This extensively used class of materials is employed in applications ranging from ceramic substrates to bathroom fixtures to monolithic insulators used for high voltage transmission lines. While many additives have been used to improve the handling properties of clays, the losses due to cracking of large ceramic objects during drying remain at a very high level. Recently, a new additive has been invented which has been proven by our pilot studies to greatly increase the rate and uniformity of drying of certain water-based clays used for decorative ceramics. However, virtually nothing is known about the mechanism by which this additive works nor how to successfully apply it to ceramics of industrial important. Therefore, a scientific study is planned to explore the interaction of this new additive with water-based clays and to develop a model of this mechanism. The model will then be used to guide the experimental work needed to successfully use this additive with selected ceramics with large commercial markets.