A NEW CERAMIC THREAD-GUIDE COMPOSITION VIA LOW-PRESSURE INJECTION-MOLDING

Alumina based ceramic-ceramic composite thread-guide samples were fabricated using a low-pressure injection-molding technique. Major processing steps in this method are introduced, and binder development and binder removal studies of a specially formulated multicomponent binder composition are described. It is illustrated that the wicking process is beneficial to shorten the processing time. Microstructural features after debinding, the sintering stage and application in field testing are outlined. The sample hardness was determined to be lower than that of pure alumina-based thread guides, allowing less wear damage to fibers. The results indicate that low-pressure injection molding can be employed as a potential forming technique for the fabrication of ceramic thread-guide components used in the textile industry.