The thermal decomposition behaviors of stearic acid, paraffin wax and polyvinyl butyral

Organic processing additives, such as polymers, dispersants, solvents and plasticizers, are often required to enhance the forming capabilities of ceramic powders. The term binder system is used to collectively describe those added materials that remain in the as-formed ceramic body after drying. Such additives must then be removed completely prior to component densification during subsequent different heat treating procedures. In this work, the thermal decomposition behaviors of binder system such as stearic acid, paraffin wax and polyvinyl butyral were investigated using DTA/TG. The kinetic parameters of thermal decomposition were also evaluated by non-isothermal DTA/TG techniques. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.