Influence of preparation route and slip casting conditions on titania and barium titanate ceramics

Titania (TiO₂) and barium titanate (BaTiO₃) were synthesized using three different dicarboxylates, which included oxalate, malate and tartarate. These powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron micrographs, BET specific surface area and particle size distribution. Their properties depended to a great extent on the nature of the precursor. The titania and barium titanate powders obtained from the tartarate precursor were found to be good for slip casting. Slips of these oxides with different solids contents were prepared at different pH values using both distilled water and ethanol as the dispersing agent and also with and without deflocculant. The rheological behaviors of the suspensions were then determined, and the slip, green and sedimentation bulk densities were measured. The minimum viscosities were observed at pH 8.2 for the TiO₂–water and pH 10.2 for the BaTiO₃–water system.