Ceramic Industry Magazine article
Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders have been shown to burn out cleanly and uniformly, while providing high green strength to refractory products.
It is widely understood that the use of additives and processing aids is critical in the forming stage for ceramic materials. These additives include binders, plasticizers, dispersants, surfactants, and lubricants. Each has their own specific use in the ceramic system, but all are a potential source of contamination and therefore can affect the production cycle, rejection rates, properties of the finished product, and ultimately the overall manufacturing cost.
Binders have been called the most important processing additive of the ceramic sintering process, and along with plasticizers, account for the bulk of all additives used in the ceramic processing industry. An effective binder will hold dry powders or aggregate together during sintering, burning out cleanly and uniformly while providing exceptional green strength to the sintered parts.
Poly(alkylene carbonates) are a family of organic polymers that possess a number of unique characteristics which make them ideal for use as binders for ceramic powders, especially alumina and silicon carbide, two well-known refractory grade ceramic materials commonly formed by way of various pressing, extrusion, slip casting (tape casting) and powder injection molding (PIM) operations.
Properties of Poly(Alkylene Carbonate) Binders
The poly(alkylene carbonate) binders are synthesized through the reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxides. Two polymers are readily available as binders–poly(propylene carbonate) and poly(ethylene carbonate). Both have properties that translate into superior performance for advance ceramics. Decomposition of poly(alkylene carbonate) binders is complete through three phases–solid, liquid and vapor.
Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders decompose completely in air below 300°C, at temperatures at least 100°C less than conventional binders. Complete burnout in nitrogen and argon and reducing atmospheres that contain hydrogen is possible at temperatures as low as 360°C, and under vacuum, poly(alkylene carbonate) burnout temperatures are even lower.
Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders burn out completely, as the products of their combustion are carbon dioxide and water vapor are non toxic, non flammable and environmentally safe. Many refractory type ceramis find end uses in applications in the electronics industry as capacitors, piezo-electrics, insulators, and sensors, all requiring high purity. Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders have been shown to yield strong green sintered parts that are virtually contaminate free. Ash residues are typically less than 50 parts per million (ppm) for the pure binder. Based on 3% binder use (a typical amount), residual ash and finished parts is well under 2 ppm, suitable for applications where purity is essential.
The low sodium levels of the binders are also encouraging for those producing dielectric materials, which have critical purity requirements. Based on 3% binder levels, poly(alkylene carbonate) binders exhibit less than 0.3 ppm residual sodium.
Unlike other binders, poly(alkylene carbonate) binders are also unique in that they burn out mildly, without violent gas formation. Therefore, fewer rejects due to cracking and variations in thermal expansion can be expected. Decomposition can be easily predicted, allowing for more reliable control.
Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders are amorphous with an easily reached class transition temperature (Tg) of 40°C. Poly(ethylene carbonate) binders are also amorphous but with a Tg of 25°C. The Tg can be further lowered with the addition of propylene carbonate, a monomer co-produced during the polymerization process of poly(propylene carbonate).
Poly(alkylene carbonate) binders are soluble in a wide range of polar organic solvents, including:
- Acetone
- Methylene chloride
- Methyl ethyl ketone
- Ethyl acetate
- Chlorinated hydrocarbons
The binders are insoluble in alcohol, ethylene glycol, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Although they are also insoluble in water, stable aqueous emulsions are available on a custom basis for using the water-based processes.
The poly(propylene carbonate) form of poly(alkylene carbonate) binders performed well in tests with numerous ceramic powders including the following:
- Alcoa alumina (A-12, A-14, A-16, SG)
- Coors ADA-90 alumina
- Reynolds RC-HP-DBM alumina with MgO
- Herman Stark B-10 silicon carbide
Binder Comparison
The poly(propylene carbonate) form of poly(alkylene carbonate) has shown significant benefits in ceramic applications. The use of poly(propylene carbonate) over conventional binders, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and methylcellulose is pressing, extrusion, tape casting, and PIM operations has been successfully demonstrated.
During the pressing operation, samples coated with poly(propylene carbonate) had higher green densities relative to theoretical densities than those samples coated with no binder, with PVOH, and with Methylcellulose.
By using a binder that decomposes cleanly and completely in inert atmospheres, the volume of gas products produced was dramatically reduced during sintering relative to combustion in air. Reducing the gas volume produced during sintering in this manner decreases the likelihood of flaw generation during sintering thereby increasing the likelihood of crack-free ceramic parts being produced, and allows for thicker ceramic parts to be manufactured.
Tape Casting and Injection Molding
The tape casting process is often used to form thin flat ceramic parts, but this process requires that the chosen binder remain flexible, even after drying. One of the unique characteristics of poly(propylene carbonate) is its ability to be plasticized by its own monomer, propylene carbonate. Poly(propylene carbonate) binders also have excellent film forming and coating capabilities, making them an excellent choice for the tape casting process. Extensive work has ben done to develop optimal formulations for binding alumina, using poly(propylene carbonate) as a binder in MEK and MEK/toluene solvent mixtures. These formulation offer high green strength and density, efficient binder burn-off, and good ability for lamination. Tapes significantly thinner than 1 mil (.001″) and as thick as 50 mils (.050″) have been produced using poly(propylene carbonate).
Studies have been carried out comparing a poly(propylene carbonate) based alumina composition with a wax-based (based on paraffins and microcrystalline waxes) alumina composition in ceramic injection molding trials. Results from these trials suggest dramatic improvement in mean failure stress, from about 230 to over 300 MPa when going from the wax mix to the poly(propylene carbonate) mix. Overall, there were fewer flaws in the poly(propylene carbonate) bars than in the bars made from wax mix composition. In the poly(propylene carbonate) bars, the flaws were limited to the contours of the molding defects that were knit lines in the thick sections. In the wax-mix bars, flaws were evenly distributed and more spherical in nature.
Expanding Applications
Poly(propylene carbonate) binders have demonstrated their value commercially over a wide range of critical ceramic powder forming operations for over a decade. Their unique and valuable properties provide advantages for certain refractory grade ceramics in pressing, extrusion, tape casting, and injection molding processes. As novel and demanding applications involving refractory type powders increase, the use of binders such as poly(alkylene carbonate) will become even more critical.