LAUSR

Abstract To obtain porous alumina ceramic with high strength, a novel gelcasting system based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) was developed. The polymerization of the HEMA–TBA gelcasting system, the thermal behavior of obtained green body, and the microstructures and mechanical properties of the sintered bodies were investigated by rheometer, TG–DSC, SEM and bending strength testing, respectively. The results show that, (1) 10 mg/mL of the initiator (benzoyl peroxide) is the optimal amount for polymerization of this gelscasting system at 25 °C; (2) The alumina suspension of the HEMA–TBA gelcasting system showing shear-thinning behavior is sufficiently low for gelcasting process; (3) The bending strength of porous alumina ceramic samples, whose porosities range from 42% to 56%, is from (8±0.5) to (91±4.5) MPa.