Date:12.11.

2015

MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

METALLURGICAL and MATERIAL ENGINEERING

FABRICATION of CERAMICS by DIE PRESSING and FIRING

NAME / SURNAME: Uur AYDOAN

ID:2034882
Group: 1
GROUP MEMBERS: Batuhan AY, Uzay Anl BLGN, Ouzhan BULUT, Bar
AKDUMAN, Fatih AKSU, smail AVCI, Glistan AKMAK
LABORATORY ASSISTANT: Simge TLBEZ
LABORATORY INSTRUCTOR: Abdullah ZTRK

Introduction
The aim of the experiment is the effect of temperature on the microstructure. Samples
of ceramics are produced at special firing temperature that is 1250C ,900C and 50C and
record the mass diameter and thickness and then sooner or later compare them for fiding
quantity and density.
Theory
Ceramics are compounds between metallic and nonmetallic elements; they are most
frequently oxides, nitrides, and carbides. For example, common ceramic materials include
aluminum oxide (or alumina, Al2O3), silicon dioxide (or silica, SiO2), silicon carbide (SiC),
silicon nitride (Si3N4), and, in addition, what some refer to as the traditional ceramicsthose
composed of clay minerals (e.g., porcelain), as well as cement and glass. [1] Ceramic
composing processes may be relegated as traditional die pressing, cold isostatic pressing,
slip casting and extrusion or as incipient and emerging, such as injection molding and tape
casting. Some traditional methods have been refined or habituated to meet particular property
requisites. These include sultry pressing, sultry isostatic pressing and pressure casting. With
all forms of engineering ceramic engenderment, it is the aim of the manufacturer to ascertain
that imperfections and defects are reduced at all stages of the process. To this end DynamicCeramic was one of the first manufacturers of engineering ceramics to invest in clean room
technologies for powder processing and compaction. [2]
Uniaxial (Die) Pressing

Die pressing is the powder compaction method involving uniaxial pressure applied to the
powder placed in a die between two rigid punches.
Uniaxial (die) pressing is efficaciously utilized for mass engenderment of simple components
(alternative method is isostatical pressing).
The scheme of the die pressing method is presented in the picture:

The pressing process consists of the following stages:

Die filling

At this stage a controlled amount of the powder is fed into the die cavity.

Compaction

Upper punch moves down and presses the powder with a predetermined pressure. The
pressure varies between 10,000 psi to 120,000 psi (69 MPa to 830 MPa).

Green compact part ejection and removal (green compact unsintered powder

compact).
The pressing cycle reiterates 400 to 5000 times/hour, depending on the press type, powder
filling properties and the component size and geometry.
Hydraulic and mechanical presses with load up to 750 tons are utilized for the powder die
pressing.
Die pressing, which is conducted at the room temperature is called cold pressing.
If the pressing process is conducted at incremented temperature it is called sultry pressing.
For example; sultry pressing of silicon carbide is carried out at temperature about 3630 F
(2000C).
Sultry pressing sanctions obtaining better compaction, higher green compact density and
higher (than in cold pressing) vigor of the component. Die pressing is utilized for
manufacturing insulating components, magnetic ceramics, capacitors, substrates.
Table 1: Advantage and disadvantage
Advantage
1-Speed of process
2-Very low drying shrinkage
3-Extraordinarily mechanized ,automatically
controlled
4-Correct dimensional manipulate

Disadvantage
1-High preliminary fee.
2-Limited to excessive-fluidity metals
3-A sure amount of porosity is common.
4-Thickest section need to be less than 13 mm
5-A huge manufacturing extent is wanted to make
this an economical alternative to other
approaches.

5-High fabrication density

Procedure
Materials
1. Ceramic powder mixture , a triaxial body consisting of clay + feldspar + quartz.
2. Water.
Equipment
1. Mechanical balance
2. Mortar and pestle
3. Laboratory glass ware like burette and beakers
4. Sieve (100 mesh )
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5. Electrical balance
6. Steel dies, (with circular or rectangular die cavities)
7. Hydraulic press (max capacity 5 tons)
8. Drying oven (max 250C)
9. Firing furnance (max 1250C)

Mix 20 gr powder which contains %40 clay(8 gr), %30 quartz(6 gr) and
%30 feldspar(6 gr)

10. Digital Capiler

11. Density measurement kit

Add 2.09 gr distilled water and mix powder and distilled water until
separate homogeneously

Eliminate the powder by mesh size of 100

Again measure the weight about 8 gr mixture of powder and distilled

water

Mix 1.02 gr zinc stearate and 2.008 gr and brush on the stainless steel
mold which using for die pressing machine quickly

Place the mold in the die pressing machine and apply 60 MPa force
throughout 1 minutes

Apply opposite force on the mold and take out the pressed powder

Repeat this process three times and there are 3 specimens

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Keep 3 specimens at 50C during 24 hours

Keep the first one at 50C during 24 hours and the second one fire 900C
during 2 hours and the last one fire 1250C during 2 hours

Result
In this experiment, 3 specimens are obtained. Specimens properties (mass, diameter,
thickness, volume, density) are shown Table 1.

Table 2: Specimens measurements

Mass(gr)
Diameter(2r)(mm)
Thickness(mm)
Volume(cm3)
Density(g/cm3)
Shrinkage percent

Dry body(50C)
9.21
35.18
4.97
4.83
1.85
-

900C
8.59
33.50
4.82
4.25
2.02
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Calculation
The specimens mass was measured by precision scales.
mspecimen1=9.21 gr
mspecimen2=8.59 gr
mspecimen3=8.57 gr
The specimens diameter and thickness was measured by compass.
Diameterspecimen1=35.18 mm
5

1250C
8.57
33.02
4.68
4.01
2.14
16.98

Diameterspecimen2=33.50 mm
Diameterspecimen3=33.02 mm
Thicknessspecimen1=4.97 mm
Thicknessspecimen2=4.82 mm
Thicknessspecimen3=4.68 mm
Measurement of the specimens volume.
V=r2h
V=volume of the specimen
r=Radius of the specimen
h=Thickness of the specimen
Vspecimen1=4.83 cm3
Vspecimen2=4.25 cm3
Vspecimen3=4.01 cm3
Measurement of the specimens density.
m
d= V
d=Density of the specimen
m=Mass of the specimen
V=Volume of the specimen
dspecimen1=1.85 g/cm3
dspecimen1=2.02 g/cm3
dspecimen1=2.14 g/cm3
Measurement of the specimens shrinkage percent.

Shrinkage percent=

v 1v 2
100
v1

V1=Initial value
V2=Final value
Shrinkage percentspecimen2=12%
Shrinkage percentspecimen3=16.98%
Graphs
2.25
2.2
2.15
2.1
2.05

Density(g/cm3)

2
1.95
1.9
1.85
1.8
1.75

200

400

600

800

Temperature(C)

Figure 1: Density of specimens

1000

1200

4.9

4.7

4.5

Volume(cm3)
4.3

4.1

3.9

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Temperature(C)

Figure 2: Volume of specimens

18
17
16
15

Shrinkage Percent

14
13
12
11
10
850

900

950

1000 1050 1100 1150 1200 1250 1300

Temperature(C)

Figure 3: Shrinkage percent of temperature

Discussion
In this experiment, the powder was mixed with the distilled water because distilled water has
a binder property. Also, it is important that each powder is at the same size due to pressure so,
the mesh which is 100 mesh size was used for eliminate. The stainless steel mold is brushed
with the mixture of zinc stearate and acetone. The reason of using this mixture is that zinc
stearate helps to transmit the same pressure to each powder and acetone is the volatile
substance and it is not affect the powder. Moreover, each specimen has different color because
of the different firing temperature. A substance at each temperature shows different phase
characteristic. Then, each specimen has different surface because of the phase characteristic
and the phase of glassy is higher at the high temperature. Volume and mass are known for
calculation of the density but calculation of volume is impossible by Archimedes principle
because the substance is dispersed in the liquid so, the cubic capacity formula is used for
calculation of volume. Calculate the mass and as the temperature increases, showed that the
mass had decreased. The reason is that distilled water is more evaporated as the temperature
increases. Calculate the volume as the temperature increases, showed that the volume had
decreased because of the sintering. Density changes for the reason is changing mass and
volume. Also, the specimens are waited at the low temperature for protect the shape and avoid
the fracture.
References
[1]William D. Callister, Jr. , Materials Science and Engineering An Introduction, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.,p8,2007
[2] Processing. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from
http://www.dynacer.com/processing/
[3] KAPELOVCH, D. (n.d.). Materials Engineering. Retrieved November 12, 2015,
from http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?
id=methods_of_shape_forming_ceramic_powders

Appendices

Figure 3: Volume content of the phases and porosity present in a in a typical clayware at
different firing temperatures. (Adapted From MetE 215 Materials Processing Laboratory
manual Figure 5. pp13)
In the experiment volume percent of using clay
In the experiment specimen 1 at 50C
In the experiment specimen 2 at 900C
In the experiment specimen 3 at 1250C

10

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

Figure 4: Specimens in the experiment

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