Fabrication and mechanical properties of β-TCP pieces by gel-casting method

In the present work, dense β-TCP ceramics were fabricated by gel-casting method. The effects of the solids loading on the rheological behavior of β-TCP slurries were investigated. When the concentration of the slurries was increased from 40 to 60 vol.%, the compressive strength of green pieces was raised from 12.4 ± 1.1 to 41.2 ± 2.3 MPa, and flexural strength from 9.4 ± 0.4 to 16.3 ± 0.9 MPa. The density of the final specimens was 97.4% of the theoretical density after pressureless sintering at 1100 °C. The compressive strength, flexural strength, elasticity modulus and the fracture toughness of the sintered pieces were 291 ± 15 MPa, 93.0 ± 8.7 Mpa, 72.4 ± 7.5 GPa and 0.92 ±0.04 Mpa·m0.5 respectively. SEM images show a compact and uniform microstructure; XRD and FTIR determined the phase and the radical before and after sintering.