Tape casting of PLZST tapes via aqueous slurries

A well-dispersed aqueous slurry for tape casting of PLZST (Pb0.97La0.02Zr0.66Sn0.23Ti0.11) was prepared. Properties of PLZST slurries with and without polyelectrolyte dispersant were characterized by zeta potential, sedimentation etc. The experimental results show that the pH value of the slurries is changing with ball-milling time, and that the polyelectrolyte dispersant has a significant effect on the isoelectric point of PLZST. TGA analysis indicates that the organic additives in the green tapes can be completely removed by heat treatment at 600 °C. The density of PLZST ceramics is tightly related to the plasticizer and the sintering temperature. However, the results demonstrated that it is possible to prepare a dense PLZST thick film through aqueous slurry tape casting.