Comparison of the Viscosity of Ceramic Slurries using a Rotational Rheometerand a Vibrational Viscometer

The viscosity of a ceramic slurry depends on the slurry concentration, particle shape and size, hydrodynamic interactions, temperature, shear rate, pre-treatment condition and the method of measurement with the selected equipment. Representative ceramic slurries with low to high viscosity levels are selected from colloidal silica, barium titanate slurry and glass frit paste. Rotational rheometers and vibrational viscometers are used to compare the measured viscosity for various ceramic slurries. The rotational rheometer measured the viscosity according to the change of the shear rate or the rotational speed. On the other hand, the vibrational viscometer measured one point of the viscosity in a fixed vibrational mode. The rotational rheometer allows the measurement of the viscosity of a ceramic paste with a viscosity higher than 100,000 cP, while the vibrational viscometer provides an easy and quick method to measure the viscosity without deformation of the ceramic slurry due to the measurement method. It is necessary to select suitable equipment with which to measure the viscosity depending on the purpose of the measurement.