Starch Consolidation Casting of Cordierite Precursor Mixtures-Rheological Behavior and Green Body Properties

The rheology of suspensions and mechanical properties of green bodies with cordierite composition (raw materials 37 wt% kaolin, 41 wt% talc, 22 wt% alumina, resulting in 46.6 wt% SiO2, 38.1 wt% Al2O3, 13.6 wt% MgO) and two types of starch (corn or potato) are investigated. Rotational viscometry of suspensions with solids loading 50, 60, and 70 wt% without starch showed that all tend to be shear‐thinning with a small degree of thixotropy. Suspensions with a total solids loading of 60 wt% with 25 wt% replaced by starch exhibited higher viscosity and thixotropy, but the viscometric behavior is almost identical for the two starch types (apparent viscosities 130–50 mPa·s). Oscillatory rheometry shows that for suspensions with potato starch the onset temperature for gelatinization is 61°C–63°C, that is, lower than for corn starch (72°C–73°C). Maximum storage moduli and phase shift values after gelatinization are similar for both systems. The mechanical properties of green disks, measured via diametral compression tests, reveal clear differences between materials prepared with corn and potato starch, with the latter showing higher elastic modulus, higher strength, and higher deformation at fracture, obviously because of incompletely gelatinized starch granules in the green bodies prepared with corn starch.