Effect of temperature on rheological behaviour of alumina suspension

Dispersion of alumina (particle size 0.5 JIm) in a solvent (methyl ethyl ketone I ethanol) containing a dispersant (phosphate ester) was studied through rheological measurements. It has been observed that the extent of dispersion of alumina varies with the ambient temperature, resulting in a significant effect on the flow behaviour of the suspension. The shear rate exponent, consistency coefficient and viscosity of the suspensions were found to vary with the ambient temperature. From the present study, it can be inferred that the ambient temperature has an important role in obtaining the desired rheological characteristics of the suspensions so as to obtain reproducible tape-cast samples with maximum powder loading