title: Effect of solvent composition on dispersing ability of reaction sialon suspensions.
abstract: This work focuses on the optimization of the rheological behavior of suspensions considering different solvent compositions. The effects of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)/ethanol (E) solvent mixtures on reaction sialon suspensions were investigated by measuring sedimentation behavior, adsorption of dispersant, and flow behavior. It was shown that both the flow behavior and the sedimentation behavior strongly depended on selection of solvent composition. Using 3 wt% KD1 as dispersant, well-dispersed colloidal suspensions could be obtained in MEK-rich solvents. The suspensions with 60 vol% MEK/40 vol% E as solvent could be fitted to the Bingham model with very low yield stress, while suspensions with pure MEK or ethanol-rich mixtures as solvent showed pseudo plastic behavior with relatively high yield stress values. A model was proposed to explain the different flow behaviors of suspensions considering the different configurations of dispersant at particles' surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ceramics and Glass Engineering, CICECO, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: José M F
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferreira