Comparison of aqueous and non-aqueous tape casting of fully stabilized ZrO2 suspensions

•Aqueous and non-aqueous tape casting of 14YSZ was compared.•Preparation conditions and their effect on the sintered samples were investigated.•Fully dense laminated samples were obtained only using the ethanol based process.•SEM analysis of green tapes shows pore content by prepared tapes via both ways.•Pore size diameter in aqueous tape was ~ 0.7 μm and in non-aqueous tape ≤ 0.2 μm.

Laminated and subsequently sintered samples were prepared via aqueous (W_YSZ) and non-aqueous (E_YSZ) tape casting technique from fully stabilized zirconia ceramic powder. Preparation conditions optimised for the E_YSZ were implemented in a varied form to the W_YSZ and compared with each other. Namely the homogenisation time, rheological behaviour and density of the prepared green and sintered samples were investigated and described. Fully sintered samples with ~ 99.5% of theoretical density after sintering were prepared from 15 sheets pressed together via ethanol based suspension. The water based process leads to ~ 54.9% and 94.2% of theoretical density after lamination and sintering, respectively. The SEM analysis of the green sheets provides an evidence of entrapped air bubbles in both systems. For the W_YSZ it was ~ 0.7 μm diameter and ≤ 0.2 μm by E_YSZ, which was the reason of differences in obtained final densities of prepared materials.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide