Isobam assisted slurry optimization and gelcasting of transparent YAG ceramics

Gelcasting is a simple near-net shaping method to fabricate large-sized and/or complicated-structural ceramics. In this paper, a transparent yttrium alumina garnet (YAG) ceramic was successfully fabricated by gelcasting with a nontoxic, water soluble copolymer (isobutylene and maleic anhydride, Isobam) as both dispersant and gelling agent. The rheological behaviors of the slurries with different solids loading and Isobam contents were systematically investigated. The optimized slurry of 0.5 wt% Isobam and the solid loading of 68 wt% had the low viscosity and high stability, resulting in better homogeneity of the green body and better optical quality of transparent ceramics. A nearly pore-free structure of the sintered YAG ceramics with average grain size about 10.0 µm was obtained possessing an in-line transmittance of 75.7% at the wavelength of 1064 nm for a sample 2.5 mm thick.