Experimental Analysis of Three Dimensional Consolidation Behavior in Slip Casting

Consolidation behavior in slip casting of a well-dispersed alumina slurry was experimentally analyzed, using wall-sealed, bottom-sealed and unsealed cylindrical plaster molds. Solid front (the interface between the consolidated layer and slurry in the cavity) and liquid front (the interface between the dry and saturated part in the plaster) were simultaneously measured. Both fronts grew not in one dimension but in three dimensions, depending on the type of mold. There was a similarity in the growth patterns between solid and liquid fronts. It was found that three dimensional suction potential of the plaster mold caused the curved growth patterns. The region deposited at early stages of casting yielded a higher bulk density than the region deposited at late stages of casting. The mean bulk density and homogeneity of cast bodies were also dependent on the type of mold.