Process for injection molding ceramics

Abstract

The process for fabricating ceramic bodies which comprises providing a particulate ceramic powder such as Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, and adding a sintering aid such as SiO.sub.2 and/or Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, and providing an aqueous solution of a water soluble plastic binder, particularly poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), and which can include auxiliary components, e.g. a surfactant. The ceramic powder including sintering aids is dispersed in the aqueous solution containing binder, and stirring is continued until the dispersion becomes viscous. The resulting viscous dispersion is then dried to form a mixture of the particulate ceramic material and the binder, and the dried mixture is injection molded, e.g. at temperature of about 400.degree. to 500.degree. F. in an argon atmosphere. The injection molded product is then stripped of the binder by heating at temperature ranging from about 700.degree. to about 850.degree. F., without causing any stripping defects. The stripped ceramic product is then subjected to sintering for solidification and densification.