Influence of hydroxyl content of binders on rheological properties of cerium–gadolinium oxide (CGO) screen printing inks

The influence of hydroxyl content of binders on rheological properties of screen printing inks is investigated. The actual amount of hydroxyl groups is correlated to the level of hyper-entanglement that characterizes the binders in solution. Three of the most used binders (ethyl cellulose, and two vinyl resins) were selected and characterized in solution via viscosimetry method. A high degree of hyper-entanglement was observed for ethyl cellulose polymers, whereas a mitigated effect characterized the two vinyl resins. Cerium–gadolinium oxides (CGO)-based inks, prepared using the selected binders, were investigated by means of rheology. The vinyl resin at higher hydroxyl content and low level of hyper-entanglement was demonstrated to impart superior printability properties.