ABSTRACT
High-technology ceramics are prepared by kiln firing a green tape. The green tape is made from a mixture of a polymer solution and an inorganic powder. The green tape results when the solvent is removed from the mix. The polymer is thermally removed in the firing process along the grain boundaries, leaving the ceramic. The polymer dispersants stabilize the mix by steric or electrostatic forces. While dispersants are in widespread use, more basic research into how dispersants behave in ceramic pastes and green tapes is needed. The high-technology nature of this field has impeded research since companies producing high-technology ceramics are hesitant to share research and technology with academia or other companies. Ceramics production in high-tech applications involves many different technologies; i.e., ceramics, colloid chemistry, combustion chemistry, polymer chemistry, electrical engineering, etc. High-technology ceramics are a large and growing industry typified by a huge number of relatively small volume products.
