High-throughput method to predict extrusion pressure of ceramic pastes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Rheology

Background:

• Ceramic paste extrusion requires precise rheological characterization.
• Traditional rheological measurements can be time-consuming and require large sample volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, high-throughput method for measuring the rheology of extrudable ceramic pastes.
• To adapt a liquid handling robot for capillary rheometry.
• To correlate rheological data from dilute pastes with concentrated pastes used in production.

Main Methods:

• A Hamilton MicroLab Star liquid handler was modified into a low-pressure capillary rheometer.
• Dilute ceramic pastes with cellulose ether were prepared and tested.
• Pressure drop data was collected and converted to standard rheological parameters.
• Results were compared with data from a hydraulic ram extruder using concentrated pastes.

Main Results:

• The modified liquid handler successfully functioned as a capillary rheometer.
• Rheological data obtained from dilute pastes correlated well with that of concentrated pastes.
• The method demonstrated the potential to predict the rheology of production-level ceramic pastes.

Conclusions:

• A new, efficient method for ceramic paste rheology measurement has been established.
• The Hamilton MicroLab Star can be repurposed for rheological analysis, enabling high-throughput screening.
• This technique offers a predictive tool for optimizing ceramic extrusion processes.