ABSTRACT
Colloidal science provides the foundation for several ceramic processing and forming operations that rely on dispersing a powder in a liquid medium. Colloidal suspensions are generally divided into two broad classes: lyophilic colloids and lyophobic colloids. This chapter examines the origins of the van der Waals forces between atoms and molecules, and considers the attractive forces between macroscopic bodies such as particles. It outlines the basic principles of electrostatic, steric, and electrosteric stabilization of colloidal suspensions. These principles provide a foundation for understanding and manipulating the experimental parameters to produce a suspension, slurry, or paste with the desired stability. Colloidal methods have been used for a long time in the forming of traditional clay-based ceramics, and they are now seeing increasing use in the advanced ceramics sector. The use of colloidal methods to improve the particle packing homogeneity of the green article yields clear benefits in the ability to control the microstructure during the sintering step.
