A NEW CERAMIC THREAD-GUIDE COMPOSITION VIA LOW-PRESSURE INJECTION-MOLDING

Alumina based ceramic-ceramic composite thread-guide samples were fabr icated using a low-pressure injection-molding technique. Major process ing steps in this method are introduced, and binder development and bi nder removal studies of a specially formulated multicomponent binder c omposition are described. It is illustrated that the wicking process i s beneficial to shorten the processing time. Microstructural features after debinding, the sintering stage and application in field testing are outlined. The sample hardness was determined to be lower than that of pure alumina-based thread guides, allowing less wear damage to fib ers. The results indicate that low-pressure injection molding can be e mployed as a potential forming technique for the fabrication of cerami c thread-guide components used in the textile industry.