ABSTRACT
Gel-based systems have been exploited in numerous applications, including advanced materials processing, photographic films, substrates for biological samples, and a variety of food products. Gelation, the process by which systems undergo a transition from liquid to solid-like behavior, has therefore been widely studied [113]. Most studies, however, have focused solely on pure polymeric [1-7] or colloidal gels [8-13]. Scant attention has been given to colloid-filled polymer gels despite their widespread use as feedstock in several emerging ceramics fabrication routes [14-17]. Here, we describe the relevant phenomena associated with gelbased ceramics processing with emphasis on colloid-filled hydrogels, including gelation, phase behavior, rheological property evolution, fabrication routes, and drying behavior of such bodies.
