The application of material chemistry concepts to processing powder suspensions including solution thermodynamics will be demonstrated on several material systems, notably the complex metal oxide, barium titanate, in aqueous environments. After a discussion of the relevant thermodynamic and kinetic issues for fine particles in liquids, various characterization approaches to understand and control the behavior of powders in liquids will be discussed. Various colloidal characterization techniques, high‐resolution TEM, and chemical analyses of both the solution and solid exposed to solution have been used to study the nature of the chemical reactions and subsequent altered surface layers in the barium titanate–water system. The key factor in developing an effective aqueous processing scheme for any water sensitive material (and all metal oxides are water sensitive) in aqueous suspension, is recognition that deleterious surface hydrolysis reactions must be prevented. It is shown that local chemical inhomogeneities play a role in abnormal grain growth in the barium titanate system exposed to aqueous environments, but can be controlled with appropriate chemical passivation approaches. The success of a passivation–dispersion approach in the aqueous processing of these materials will be discussed as well as the implementation of the general concept of material chemistry approaches to the aqueous processing of other water sensitive materials.

A dispersion scheme for aqueous processing of manganese zinc ferrite suspensions is presented. The addition of oxalic acid leads to the formation of a uniform negative charge on the surface such that a cationic polyelectrolyte, polyethyleneimine (PEI), adsorbs and provides electrosteric dispersion. At 0.5 w/w (weight percent with respect to the dry powder) oxalic acid addition, there is a relatively uniform negative surface charge (approximately −30 mV) within the suspension pH range investigated (3–10), eliminating the isoelectric point (pH ∼7.6) present for the as‐received metal oxide powder. At the addition of 0.5 w/w PEI on an oxalate‐treated surface, the surface charge is constant and positive (∼20 mV) through a wide pH range, ∼5–10. The resulting rheological data for passivation–dispersion of relatively high‐solids manganese zinc ferrite suspensions (∼80 wt%) demonstrate improved colloid stability with improved rheological properties. The resulting apparent viscosity and Bingham yield point is 0.01 Pa·s (12.0 cP) and 0.24 Pa (2.4 dynes/cm2), respectively. A sulfonated napthalene‐based dispersant, typically used in industry, gives an apparent viscosity and Bingham yield point of 0.03 Pa·s (32 cP) and 3.1 Pa (31 dynes/cm2), respectively.

No abstract

No abstract