Characteristics of cerium-gadolinium oxide (CGO) suspensions as a function of dispersant and powder properties

A series of concentrated suspensions (ϕ = 0.18–0.34) of cerium-gadolinium oxide (CGO) in terpineol were prepared as a function of dispersant, powder surface area and solids concentration. The stability of the suspensions was assessed by rheological measurements including viscosity and oscillatory measurements. Six dispersants with different molecular weights and terminal groups were compared for their relative efficiency in dispersing the powders by viscosity measurements. A Rhodafac dispersant, a long chain polymer containing phosphoric acid terminal groups, was found to produce suspensions with the lowest viscosity at ∼1 wt.% dispersant and was chosen for subsequent suspension preparations. Increasing the surface area (from 7.0 to 35.5 m2/g) of the CGO powder lead to an increase in the viscosity of the suspension prepared with constant dispersant wt.%. The viscosity data obeyed the Herschel–Bulkley relationship as a function of shear rate. Increasing the solids loading (from ϕ = 0.20 to 0.34) on the other hand, lead to an increase in the suspension viscosity as well as the viscous and elastic moduli for low surface area (LSA) CGO suspensions. The maximum solids loading for the suspension was determined after modeling the data to the Chong relationship.