Ceramic Precursor Oil Phase Cohesion via Water-Insoluble Soap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic articles, such as honeycomb-shaped substrates, often suffer from defects like green fissures due to low cohesive strength in the oil phase during extrusion, leading to material rejection and production downtime, especially when hydrophobic materials like fatty acids are used as lubricants and binder materials like methylcellulose are insoluble in the oil phase.
Innovation Solution
Increasing the concentration of water insoluble soaps in the precursor batch composition, specifically alkaline earth soaps like calcium and magnesium soaps, to enhance the cohesive strength of the oil phase, thereby reducing the incidence of defects like green fissures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydrophobic materials like fatty acids are added to the batch as lubricants, then extrusion lubrication is improved, but cohesive strength in the oil phase decreases causing green fissures
Solution Approach 1:
Water-insoluble soaps act as intermediary substances that bridge the aqueous and oil phases. These soaps have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics, allowing them to emulsify the oil phase and bind it to the aqueous binder system, thereby improving cohesive strength while maintaining lubrication properties
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite batch composition where water-insoluble soaps form a hybrid system combining properties of both aqueous and oil phases. This composite structure allows the lubricant to maintain both its lubricating function and sufficient cohesive strength to prevent green fissures during extrusion
2Stability of the object's composition
If binder materials like methylcellulose are used that are insoluble in the oil phase, then water phase binding is improved, but oil phase cohesive strength decreases leading to defect formation
Solution Approach 1:
Water-insoluble soaps serve as mediators between the water-insoluble binder and the oil phase lubricant. The soaps create an emulsified system where the binder can effectively bind particles in the aqueous phase while the soap-emulsified oil phase maintains cohesive strength, preventing the separation and defect formation that would otherwise occur
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the batch composition by introducing water-insoluble soaps with specific molecular structures that have both water and oil affinity. This parameter change transforms the batch from a two-phase separated system to a more integrated emulsified system, improving reliability while maintaining the binding effectiveness of water-insoluble binders
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The increased cohesive strength in the oil phase significantly reduces the occurrence of defects, as demonstrated by improved tensile properties and skin quality in experimental runs, leading to enhanced material utilization and reduced production downtime.
Implementation Method 1
increasing the cohesive strength of the oil phase
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of reducing the defects in ceramic articles and precursors, particularly ceramic articles and precursors made using a batch composition containing an oil phase material. The method includes increasing the concentration of a water insoluble soap in the batch composition, which can increase the cohesive strength of the oil phase, leading to a reduction in the incidence of defects in the ceramic articles and precursors.