New cellular ceramics from high alkane phase emulsified suspensions (HAPES)

Open porous mechanically stable ceramic foams are developed by a simple direct foaming process. The new processing route is based on the transition of a surfactant stabilized highly concentrated alkane phase homogeneously distributed in a stabilized aqueous ceramic powder suspension into high performance ceramic foams with porosities up to 90% and cell sizes ranging from 3 to 200 mu m. The droplet size distribution of the high alkane phase emulsified suspensions (HAPES) is efficiently controlled by the stirring velocity during emulsification experimentally investigated for varying powder particle contents. Stable foams with tailored structural features can be prepared by adjusting the theological characteristics of HAPES being dependent on the system and process parameters. The influence of the emulsification stirring velocity on the resulting HAPES droplet size is analysed on the basis of the Taylor model of mechanical shearing describing the stresses responsible for the fragmentation of the droplets. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.