ORGANIC ADDITIVES FOR CERAMICS - AN OVERVIEW

Without the use of chemical additives many manufacturing processes in the ceramics industry would be difficult or even impossible to carry o ut. Deflocculants with special properties, some with high purity, cont rol the rheology of slips used in casting or spray drying processes an d glaze applications. Temporary binders, used in dry pressing, are sel ected to give brittle, hard or elastic bonds between individual grains of material. Pressing aids, either anti-friction or pressure equalisi ng agents, are used to obtain high densities. Surfactants or high mole cular weight polymers are used as plasticisers in extrusion processes, waxes and thermoplastics for injection moulding. Special additives su ch as rheological additives are used in glazes to impart special prope rties. Hydrophilic decorating aids are used for all direct printing me thods and solvent additives for indirect printing.