Circularising the Pressure Moulding of Ceramics

Ceramic materials are a versatile group of materials offering long-term use, high thermal stability, high strength and chemical inertness. They are also suitable for mass production. However, conventional processing of ceramics may also suffer from high amounts of waste, tool wear and energy consumption. Novel technological innovations are required for ceramic manufacturing to help the industry meet net zero carbon targets. 

This project will investigate the use of ceramic doughs, which are highly-loaded, homogeneously-coagulated suspensions of advanced ceramics that can be directly shaped through moulding or laser machining. The project will specifically focus on the moulding of alumina crucibles to demonstrate the efficiency of this alternative processing method. Our partnership with PCL Ceramics will contribute to our comparative assessment of the process, and may enable PCL Ceramics to offer a parameterized process flow without material waste to its customers.

Ahu Gumrah Dumanli-Parry

University of Manchester