Water-based gelcasting of lead zirconate titanate and evaluation of mechanical properties of the gelcast samples

Gelcast and sintered bodies obtained from ovalbumin-based slurry with 45% solid loading were crack free and showed density comparable to the cold isostatically pressed (CIP) and sintered lead zirconate titanate samples. The values of average hardness, modulus of elasticity and fracture toughness of a 1200 °C sintered gelcast sample obtained by microindentation are 5.9 GPa, 137.0 GPa and 0.96 MPa m1/2, respectively. The mechanical properties of the gelcast and sintered sample were comparable to that of the CIP-sintered sample.