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Porous diatomite ceramics with hierarchical pores and high apparent porosity (50.29–56%) were successfully fabricated via direct stereolithography. The pre-ball-milling time, dispersant type and dispersant concentration were systematically investigated to prepare diatomite pastes with high solid loading, low viscosity and a self-supporting effect. The results showed that a pre-ball-milling time of 24 h was more suitable to prepare diatomite pastes with high solid loading, and Span80 at 2 wt% was the optimal dispersant to obtain 40 vol% diatomite paste with a low viscosity and a self-supporting effect. To restrain the formation of defects, a heating rate as low as 0.2 °C/min was allowed to control the pyrolysis rate in the multistage debinding process. At sintering temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1000 °C, porous diatomite ceramics exhibited a typical bimodal porosity, high apparent porosity and great flexural strength.

This study examines the electrophoretic deposition of Yb2Si2O7 particles on SiC substrates to produce Environmental Barrier Coatings. To prepare crack-free and homogeneous green coatings, the effect of the solvent, dispersant concentration, and pH were investigated. Ethanol provided a well-dispersed suspension and crack-free coating which was shown by sedimentation tests and microstructure analysis. The effect of the dispersant concentration was investigated with zeta potential measurement and microstructure analysis with a concentration above 0.5 g/L resulting in higher ionic strength and producing cracked and uneven coatings. The ionic strength was also associated with the powder packing density with larger indentation impressions measured for loosely packed coatings. The deposition rate depended on the suspension properties influenced coating integrity with delamination evidenced by analysing the current density drop during deposition. Sintering of the green coatings having different densities and microstructure showed their importance in the preparation of uniform and dense sintered coatings.

By surface modification with APTMS, spontaneous coagulation casting (SCC) of fused silica based on Isobam was achieved and the possible coagulation and molding mechanism is proposed. Through the interaction between the polar groups on the Isobam molecular chain and the incorporated –NH2 groups on the surface of the silica particles, Isobam molecular chains were adsorbed on the surface of particles, which initiate the formation of flocs and the solidification of the suspension. The addition of dispersant TMAH results in the hydrolyzation of Isobam, forming more –COO–, which effectively improves the fluidity and stability of the suspension. Then the zeta potential, rheological properties and coagulation behavior of the suspension were systematically investigated and the fused silica suspension with high solid content (up to 52 vol%), low viscosity and good coagulation properties were prepared at 1.8 wt% TMAH and 0.5 wt% Isobam dosage. After sintering at 1260 °C for 4 hours, the fused silica ceramics (50 vol% solid content) shows a high bending strength of 61.59 MPa, the lowest dielectric loss tanδ of 8.46 × 10-4 and the dielectric constant of 3.72. Thus, this work provides a simple and effective method for preparing fused silica and other ceramics with negative surface charge by Isobam SCC.

Porous materials manufactured by freeze-casting are demonstrating potential application as oxygen carriers for the production and purification of hydrogen, or anode material for lithium-ion batteries. However, to obtain the required pore morphology and sufficient mechanical strength, the suspension processing parameters must be controlled. Fe2O3 nanoparticles/camphene suspensions were fabricated using stearic acid as the dispersant agent showing a low-viscosity (130 mPa·s) with a high solid volume fraction (0.3). Suspensions show a shear-thinning behavior according to the Sisko model and a maximum packing fraction of 0.569 estimated from a zero porosity sample. A modified Krieger and Dougherty model was introduced to incorporate the influence of the particle-aspect ratio. The Fe2O3 scaffolds manufactured by freeze-casting shown a gradient pore size along the freezing direction, which was diminished with the solid volume fraction, the compression strength was improved with the pore size reduction and fitted according to the minimum solid area model.

Nowadays, 3D polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide ceramics (SiOC) can be fabricated by the stereolithography method successfully. However, due to their intrinsically poor ceramic content and the large thermal shrinkage during the pyrolysis, it is difficult for the bulk 3D polysiloxane precursors to be pyrolyzed into dense 3D-ceramics. Herein, the ceramic content of the photocurable polysiloxane precursors was increased by adding a large amount of SiO2 powders into the low solid content epoxy-acrylic siloxane. After being added with proper dispersant, the viscosity of the high solid loading polysiloxane/SiO2 slurry can reach a proper level. Bulk 3D-silica ceramics with the wall-thickness around 8 mm can be conveniently fabricated from the polysiloxane/SiO2 slurry by stereolithography and a two-step sintering process. The addition of a proper sintering aid NaF can promote the 3D-PSO/SiO2 precursor to be converted into dense and crack-free 3D-silica ceramics with good mechanical proprieties.

The goal of this research is to fabricate pure transparent yttria ceramics through gel casting and vacuum sintering. A specific processing method has been used and optimized for this purpose. A pure yttria nanopowder was synthesized as the starting material to produce pure transparent ceramics through a low-temperature sintering process. It was attempted to minimize the undesirable nanopowder hydration by using the as-synthesized yttria nanopowder and a rapid deagglomeration and slurry preparation process. The synthesized nanopowders were deagglomerated to enhance the efficiency of both powder shaping and sintering stages. Carrageenan was used as the gelling agent because it is a low-cost and abundant material, and because the temperature is the only catalyst needed for its gelation; therefore, it is possible to control its gelation to obtain high-density and pure optical ceramics. The effect of the deagglomeration method and the processing parameters, including the amounts of dispersant, gelling agent, solid loading, pH, and deagglomeration time, on the rheology of slurry, density, and microstructure of the obtained green yttria ceramics was examined and optimized in order to obtain high solid loading nanoyttria suspensions of 38 vol%, which is more than those obtained in many of the previous investigations. The precise gelling temperature and time were measured, and green gel cast ceramics with a density of 63 % of the theoretical density were produced. A rapid deagglomeration and slurry preparation method was used instead of using a conventional planetary ball-milling approach to minimize the risk of the hydrolysis of yttria nanopowder. No sintering aid was necessary, and transparent yttria ceramics with 99 % of the theoretical density were produced after vacuum-furnace sintering at 10-2 mbar and 1715 °C.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are widely investigated to evaluate their efficacy for therapeutic carriers, biosensors, contrast agents, therapeutic agents (hyperthermia generators), antimicrobial agents, etc., in extracellular space. When MNPs are used for biomedical applications, the nanoparticles are usually dispersed in phosphate buffer saline or body fluids. Bare MNPs tends to agglomerate and aggregate due to high specific surface energy and magnetic dipolar interactions. Further non-specific adsorption of proteins and salts on bare MNPs leads to collapse of colloidal properties. In order to mitigate the above problems, bare MNPs are ligated with biocompatible dispersants for colloidal stability. Majority MNPs are ligated with dispersants such as oleic acid, oleylamine, dopamine derivatives, zwitterionic compounds and polyethylene glycol, to obtain surfactant ligand monolayer on MNPs. Sometimes, polymers are also used as capping agent or encapsulation material. Surfactant monolayer can further be functionalized with therapeutics, proteins, immunoreceptor, etc., for a specific application. Hence one need to understand biocompatible properties, especially cytotoxicity, of nanoparticles with different dispersant monolayers. In addition, biocompatibility testing is also important because the presence of extractable chemical compounds and agents from synthesis process may influence biocompatibility. Cytotoxicity is most sensitive of the biocompatibility tests and is useful for evaluating these types of harmful reactions. Effect of dispersants on cytotoxicity of MNPs are not reviewed in the literature. The effect of various dispersant on cytocompatibility of various MNPs are systematically presented here. Among all, polyethylene glycol polymer is a universal dispersant with high colloidal stability and very low cytotoxicity. Short-chain zwitterionic surfactant ligands are next best dispersants.

Increasing occurrence of intrinsically antimicrobial-resistant, human pathogens and the protective biofilm-mode in which they grow, dictates a need for the alternative control of infectious biofilms. Biofilm bacteria utilize dispersal mechanisms to detach parts of a biofilm as part of the biofilm life-cycle during times of nutrient scarcity or overpopulation. We here identify recent advances and future challenges in the development of dispersants as a new infection-control strategy. Deoxyribonuclease (DNase) and other extracellular enzymes can disrupt the extracellular matrix of a biofilm to cause dispersal. Also, a variety of small molecules, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide releasing compounds, peptides and molecules regulating signaling pathways in biofilms have been described as dispersants. On their own, dispersants do not inhibit bacterial growth or kill bacterial pathogens. Both natural, as well as artificial dispersants, are unstable and hydrophobic which necessitate their encapsulation in smart nanocarriers, like pH-responsive micelles, liposomes or hydrogels. Depending on their composition, nanoparticles can also possess intrinsic dispersant properties. Bacteria dispersed from an infectious biofilm end up in the blood circulation where they are cleared by host immune cells. However, this sudden increase in bacterial concentration can also cause sepsis. Simultaneous antibiotic loading of nanoparticles with dispersant properties or combined administration of dispersants and antibiotics can counter this threat. Importantly, biofilm remaining after dispersant administration appears more susceptible to existing antibiotics. Being part of the natural biofilm life-cycle, no signs of "dispersant-resistance" have been observed. Dispersants are therewith promising for the control of infectious biofilms. (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Formulation of high solid load slurries is an important aspect in achieving dense, high quality ceramic green body shaping by additive manufacturing techniques. To this end, the understanding and control of interparticle interactions in non-aqueous organic slurry systems is imperative. With nanosized powders gaining increasing interest, particle stabilization by long-chain polymeric dispersants is undesirable due to the high exclusion volume associated and the subsequent decrease in the maximum solid load of the suspension. In this study, we focus on the stabilization mechanisms provided by metal cation complexes in methyl ethyl ketone and isopropanol-based spinel slurries. Special focus is given to chromium (III) 2-ethylhexanoate. Hemi-micelle formation at the powder surface in methyl ethyl ketone is suggested as a highly efficient stabilization mechanism. Complexes of metal dopant cations may open new pathways towards future advances in ceramic slurry formulation, especially in the field of additive manufacturing. Furthermore, the importance of solvation forces is discussed on the basis of the protic or aprotic character of the solvent used.

Recycling of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) has great potential for industrial applications, due to its useful metal contents, including zinc. In this study, aqueous cyan ceramic ink for ink-jet printing applications was synthesized using EAFD. More specifically, cyan ceramic pigments were synthesized using an empirical composition of Zn(EAFD)XCo1-XAl2O4, in which expensive cobalt oxide is replaced by Zn-enriched EAFD. Zn(EAFD)0.25Co0.75Al2O4, which has a vivid cyan color, was selected as the optimum composition of cyan ceramic pigments for synthesizing aqueous cyan ceramic ink for ink-jet printing applications. To prevent nozzle clogging during ink-jet printing, the cyan ceramic pigments were micronized. The micronized pigments were mixed with distilled water and dispersant to fabricate aqueous cyan ceramic ink. To determine the optimized jettability and printability of this ink, its rheological properties, including viscosity and surface tension, were adjusted and analyzed. It was concluded that the jettability and printability of aqueous cyan ceramic ink produced via ink-jet printing could be enhanced by appropriately adjusting its viscosity.

The Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) materials are highly used for high frequency devices required for high-speed data communications, representing an attractive material for electronic applications with a direct industrial applicability. The development of a photocurable LTCC suspension for Digital Light Processing Stereolithography (DLP-SLA) technology is presented in this work. The LTCC suspension, with an optimal solid load of 40.4 vol%, was characterized along its preparation regarding the rheological behaviour, dispersant content, particle size distribution in function of milling time and photocuring properties in a visible light range. The effect of the particle size change, through ball milling, on viscosity and photocuring behaviour was studied, achieving an optimal mixing range time, which highlights the importance of the manufacturing standardization of the photocurable suspensions. The optimized suspension presents a viscosity of 3.6 Pa s at shear rate of 2 s−1, a sensitivity of 41 μm and a critical energy dose of 15 mJ cm−2. The printing process was successfully achieved, demonstrated by some defect-free printed pieces.

Six different sodium lignosulfonates with varying degrees of sulfonation (0.14–1.29 sulfonate groups per phenylpropane unit) and molecular weights (Mw = 6000–330,000 g/mol) were evaluated for their ability to disperse carbon black in aqueous media. Rheological and particle size measurements of carbon black dispersions indicated that lignosulfonates with low degree of sulfonation function as good carbon black dispersants. The dispersion efficiency did not correspond directly to the amount of lignosulfonate adsorbed on the surface of carbon black. The lignosulfonates have an ability to enhance the colloidal stability by electrostatic repulsion, and the likely mechanism of stabilization is a combination of electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance. Graphical abstract

Anticorrosive conductive coatings were prepared by adding solvents, dispersants, nickel powders, etc. to acrylic resin coatings with high viscosity, and conductive coatings were prepared on the surface of Q235 steel. The effects of nickel powder contents on the corrosion resistance of the conductive coating were investigated in a red soil solution, for which electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel polarization curve and corrosion morphology analysis were used. Adding different concentrations of Fe2(SO4)3 to the red soil solution, the effect of Fe2(SO4)3 content on the corrosion resistance of the conductive coating was studied. The results show that anti-corrosion performance of the coating material is variable according to the degree of hydrolysis. Besides, the content of nickel powder and Fe2(SO4)3 is also related to the anti-corrosion performance. The higher the content of nickel powder, the worse the corrosion resistance. The higher the content of Fe2(SO4)3 in the red soil solution, the lower the coating impedance and the worse the corrosion resistance. Fe2(SO4)3 will accelerate the corrosion reaction. A Fe2(SO4)3 catalyzed kinetic mechanism is advanced to expound accelerated corrosion process.

In this study, ZnO ceramics with two types of TPMS structure (Gyroid structure and Schwartz P structure) were fabricated by 3D printing. The solid content of ZnO ceramics powder was 38 wt%. The solid content of SR454NS Acrylic was 57 wt%. The other components of the slurry were photoinitiator, dispersant and sintering additive. The ZnO ceramics with high densification could be achieved after sintering at 1250 °C for 2 h. The average grain size was 37 μm and the true density of the printed ZnO ceramics was 4.95 g/cm3. The shape of printed ZnO ceramics can be controlled and the minimum size of thin rod is 200 μm. The compressive strength for Gyroid structural ZnO ceramic with 55% porosity and the Schwartz P structural ZnO ceramic was approximately 6.87 MPa and 4.02 MPa, respectively. The result shows that the Gyroid structural ZnO ceramics can bear much more deformation than the Schwartz P structure during the compression tests. The TPMS structural ZnO ceramics can be used in the field of sensing and detection in the future.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films with low resistivity and high transparency in the visible light region have been prepared on flexible plastic films by a deposition method using water mist containing ITO nanoparticles (NPs) under atmospheric conditions. The ITO NP-mist was generated by ultrasonic irradiation of a water dispersion. Our developed protrusion-rich ITO NPs were applied as the ITO NPs. The ITO NPs show high dispersion stability in water without the use of any dispersant. Comparison investigations revealed that utilization of the ITO NPs played a critical role in fabricating high-performance ITO thin films on flexible films, and the resistivity reached 9.0 x 10− 3 Ω·cm. The system could be expected to provide promising advances in the development of a mild and sustainable fabrication procedure for ITO thin films under mild atmospheric conditions without the use of expensive vacuum production systems or harmful and environmentally undesirable chemicals.

The present work describes a comparative study on a pool of 12 dispersants for the de‐agglomeration and stabilization of silicon carbide in aqueous suspensions with solids loading relevant for dip coating applications. As silicon carbide slurries may include sintering aids, different functional groups, molecular weight, and stabilization mechanisms were considered for the dispersants to be able to stabilize both slurry components. Additionally, pH effect, toxicity, additive compatibility, and foaming properties were considered, giving all the necessary information for developing new aqueous formulation of SiC suspensions, including advantages and disadvantages of the different candidates. Different de‐agglomeration procedures, powder surface area and calcination temperature are also considered to study the effect of the SiC surface properties.The outcome is that slurry stabilization provided by an alkaline environment at pH larger than 8‐9 is significantly more effective than slurry stabilization by any of the tested dispersants. Alkaline environments facilitate a negative surface charge on SiC particles and provides a stable electrostatic stabilisation mechanism not observed in neutral or acidic environments. One among the dispersant candidates (FA 4404) seems to broaden slightly the range of stability towards the acidic regime. Anionic surfactants or block co‐polymers tested exhibited no significant interaction with the SiC particles.

Cu@HBP-SH@Ag particles have been prepared by a facile synthesis strategy. Initially, thiol-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-SH) was synthesized by stepwise polymerization. Subsequently, Cu particles covered with HBP-SH were prepared by reduction technology using HBP-SH as dispersant and template. Finally, Cu@HBP-SH@Ag particles were obtained by reduction reaction. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy confirmed presence of HBP-SH on the surface of the Cu particles. The crystal structure was examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) analysis confirmed formation of Cu@HBP-SH@Ag particles. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the Cu@HBP-SH@Ag particles had better antioxidation properties than the Cu particles.

The development of novel cermet composites based on porous ceramics with high porosity, interconnected pore structure and good mechanical property has attracted considerable attention in engineering application. In this work, water-based freeze casting process was employed to fabricate ZrB2-SiC porous ceramic with aligned lamellar-channels structure using PAA-NH4 as the dispersant. The results revealed that the well-dispersed suspension with best rheological behavior was obtained using 1.0 wt% PAA-NH4 at pH 9. The crack-free porous ceramic exhibited small volume shrinkage ranging from 2.59 % to 1.87 %. By varying the solid loading, the fabricated samples displayed a tailored porosity ranging from 76.12% to 59.37% and an excellent compressive strength of 7 MPa to 78 MPa. After oxidation, the samples displayed a decreased porosity and an increased compressive strength. The ZrB2­SiC porous ceramic fabricated in this work will be a promising candidate for the framework of cermet composite.

Here, we report a facile method to produce pure silver nanowires (AgNWs) with high yield. A highly conductive dispersant was used to ensure uniform dispersion of the AgNWs. Without any posttreatment, the AgNW networks, deposited on flexible substrates, showed excellent optoelectrical performance owing to minimal junction resistance between the AgNWs. To explore their potential in flexible optoelectronic devices, a transparent film heater was constructed based on the present AgNW networks. The heater could achieve rapid response at low input voltage and reach a relatively high temperature in a short response time. Since this high-quality AgNW film exhibits relatively low production costs and fast production time, it may have value for future electronic industry applications.

Flower-like ZnO microstructures were successfully produced using a hydrothermal method employing ZnSO4/(NH4)2SO4 as a raw material. The effect of the operating parameters of the hydrothermal temperature, OH−/Zn2+ molar ratio, time, and amount of dispersant on the phase structure and micromorphology of the ZnO particles were investigated. The synthesis conditions of the flower-like ZnO microstructures were: hydrothermal temperature of 160°C, OH−/Zn2+ molar ratio of 5:1, reaction time of 4 h, and 4 mL of dispersant. The flower-like ZnO microstructures were comprised of hexagon-shaped ZnO rods arranged in a radiatively. Degradation experiments of Rhodamine B with the flower-like ZnO microstructures demonstrated a degradation efficiency of 97.6% after 4 h of exposure to sunshine, indicating excellent photocatalytic capacity. The growth mechanism of the flower-like ZnO microstructures was presented.

For the UV-curable alumina suspensions used in digital light processing (DLP) stereolithography, optimizing the dispersant type is important for achieving low viscosity, high solid loading, and remarkable self-leveling behavior. However, the inter-particle interactions in UV-curable alumina suspensions dispersed using different dispersants are overlooked. Herein, the effect of inter-particle interactions on rheology, solid loading, and self-leveling behavior of UV-curable alumina suspensions was systematically investigated. Three different commercial dispersants were used: oleic acid (OA), alkane-acrylic phosphate ester (PM1590), and copolymer dispersant (BYK111). After dispersing, BYK111 endowed alumina powders with thicker adsorption polymer layer to provide stronger steric repulsion force and facilitated better wetting of alumina powers in the photocurable resin, resulting in a reduced network structure degree, which decreased the viscosity (1.04 Pa s at 30 s−1); homogeneous packing of alumina powders, which enhanced the maximum solid loading (55 vol%); and inhibition of particle flocculation, which facilitated the spontaneous spreading of suspension.

Man-caused load on sources of industrial and domestic water supply, which causes the discharge of insufficiently treated wastewater, is one of the great environmental problems in Ukraine. The traditional way of solving this problem, associated with the disposal of such waters by adsorption, membrane or catalytic technologies, has a number of disadvantages associated with large volumes and a wide range of pollutants, traditional methods often require preparatory measures, time-consuming, scarce materials and expensive equipment. It would be ideal to create waste-free circulating water supply technologies, but these options are still far from being mass-produced. A promising way to solve these problems is to organize such production cycles, where the disposal of toxic wastewater will be combined with recovery technologies. Industrial and domestic wastewater often contains a significant proportion of the organic component. These are oil products, by-products of organic synthesis, spent lubricating and cooling suspensions, waste from the food, alcohol and pulp and paper industries, dyes and pigments, etc. All this waste is energy saturated and can be separated and used as fuel. However, due to low concentrations in most wastewater, their separation is economically unprofitable. A method is proposed for neutralizing toxic organic wastewater by using it as a dispersion medium for composite coal-aqueous fuel (CAF). The possibility of priming carbon microparticles obtained by preliminary plasma-chemical treatment of an organic dispersion medium to stabilize composite coal-water fuel were investigated. Waste cutting fluid (JCL) was used as an organic dispersion medium; anthracite served as the dispersed phase. A CAF sample was obtained based on anthracite from Ukrainian deposits with a solid phase (W) content of 70 mass. %, and studied its electrokinetic and rheological properties. It has been found that the preliminary plasma-chemical conversion of organic wastewater used as a dispersion medium for composite water-coal fuel significantly improves the operational properties of CAF. The growth of sedimentation stability and the optimization of the effective viscosity are achieved mainly through the implementation of the structural and mechanical factor by increasing the number of contacts with the introduction of a highly dispersed fraction of carbon microparticles and increasing the electrostatic repulsion of the elements of the suspension structure. Thus, the sedimentation stability of the obtained CAF is significantly improved in comparison with conventional anthracite suspensions in organic wastewater and reaches 2 days without the addition of stabilizers. In the future, it is planned to further improve the properties of CAF by introducing stabilizing reagents and dispersants into its composition.

In the current work, high strength alumina (Al2O3) thin tapes were prepared by a novel gel-tape casting method. The water-based slurries were gelled by the polymerization of the epoxy monomers. Low viscosity slurries consisting of nanometer-sized alumina particles were prepared with a solid loading reaching 42 vol%. Sodium and ammonium polyacrylate dispersants were used for alumina particle dispersion and stabilization. The individual Al2O3 tapes reached a relative density of over 99.5% and a grain size between 1.1 and 1.3 μm after pressureless sintering at 1450 °C. The biaxial strength of sintered samples was measured in the ball-on-three-balls setup and the values of characteristic Weibull strength up to 1400 MPa were obtained for as-sintered tapes with a thickness of about 190 μm. The effect of sodium and ammonium-based polyacrylate dispersants on tape processing and properties of the Al2O3 tapes were investigated and explained.

A direct preparation method for a powdered geopolymer was developed using polyvinyl alcohol as a dispersant template. Metakaolin obtained by calcination of kaolinite at 600 or 750°C was used as silica-alumina source. Powdered samples with average particle sizes of 44.2 and 42.0 µm were prepared from the metakaolin calcined at 600 and 750°C, respectively. The sample prepared from metakaolin calcined at 750°C consisted of geopolymer, while the sample prepared from metakaolin calcined at 600°C consisted of a mixed phase of unreacted metakaolin and geopolymer. The sample prepared from metakaolin calcined at 750°C showed higher Cu(II) cation adsorption ability. The adsorption amount of Cu(II) cation was 40.8 mg/g, which is comparable to the adsorption capacity of the geopolymer prepared by the conventional method.

In the present research, NiO–SDC (Samarium doped Ceria) nanopowder was synthesized through sol–gel combustion method using citric acid as a reducing agent (fuel) and metal nitrates as an oxidant. The characteristics of the synthesized powder were thoroughly analyzed by DTA/TG, XRD, BET and FESEM/EDX. Tubular gel-casted porous specimens of NiO–SDC (50:50 wt%) composite materials were produced after stabilizing suspensions of composite powder in an aqueous environment by addition of 3 wt% dispersant and 2.5 wt% agar as the gel builder. The effect of Dolapix CE64 as a dispersant, agar as a gel-builder and the amount of solid loadings on the processing and properties of porous ceramics was investigated. Viscosity measurements, zeta potentials of suspensions with and without dispersant and sedimentation measurement were used to determine the optimum dispersant concentration and solid concentration needed to prepare a stable slurry. The phase composition and microstructure of sintered samples were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, the distribution and porosity of the samples were determined through mercury porosimetry method. Results confirmed that stable NiO–SDC slurries with high solid loading (60 %) were achieved with Dolapix CE64, which also met the requirements to reach porous tubular samples with up to 60% porosity.

Compared to metals and polymers, the poor processability of ceramic materials limits their use in industrial applications, despite their excellent properties. Three-dimensional (3D) printing methods can increase the processing flexibility of ceramic materials. Here, we report inkjet-based 3D printing process with different ceramic compositions. Ultraviolet (UV) curable ceramic ink was synthesized from a mixture of ceramic pigments, UV curable monomer, dispersant, and photoinitiator. The rheological properties and jetting behavior of ceramic ink were optimized. The influences of the photoinitiator and contact angle on the additive printing behavior were also investigated in detail. Finally, the 3D objects which consist of multiple ceramic materials and compositional gradients were successfully formed using inkjet printing.

In this study, Alkenyl succinimides with different alkyl chain lengths were synthesized using polyisobutylene (PIB) with the molecular weights of 1000 and 1300, which displayed the best functional properties. The secondary amines found in b-Polyisobutylene succinimide (b-PIBSI) dispersants were prepared by attaching PIB chains to a polyamine core via two succinimide moieties. In this work, detergent/dispersant type additives were synthesized based on polyisobutylene succinic anhydride (PIBSA) and its aminated compounds (PIBSI) with tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). The resulting PIBSA and PIBSI characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) spectroscopies were greatly complicated because of the interactions between the carbonyls of the succinimide groups and unreacted secondary amines of the Mb-PIBSI dispersants. The viscoelasticity of obtained PIBSI indicated the increase in storage modulus with time which illustrated the increase in the solid-like properties of PIBSI. Therefore, an alternative procedure was developed based on fluorescence quenching of the succinimides by secondary amines and urethane groups.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is widely used as an advanced ceramic material, but the dispersion of concentrated SiC suspension is difficult. In this work, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) was used as a dispersant to obtain a concentrated SiC suspension with low viscosity. The interaction between PDADMAC and the SiC surface was studied by adsorption measurements at three pH values. The results indicated that PDADMAC had a high adsorption affinity to the SiC surface. The adsorption capacity of PDADMAC increased as the pH increased and achieved the maximum value of about 4.355 mg g−1. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed that 27.67% of SiO2 existed in the SiC powder surface and PDADMAC was successfully adsorbed on its surface. The dispersion behavior of SiC powders in water was studied by zeta potential and sedimentation measurements. PDADMAC modified SiC powders became positively charged in the pH range from 2 to 11.6 and a SiC suspension with high stability was obtained at pH 3 through an electrosteric stabilization mechanism. The 54 vol% SiC suspension with a viscosity of 0.539 Pa s was suitable for slip casting. Finally, the SiC green body with a high relative density (70.14%) was prepared.

The dispersion stability and wettability of suspension concentrates are beneficial for improvement of the utilization rate of pesticides. Herein, four kinds of novel organosilane-modified polycarboxylate dispersants P(AA3-APEG1-Six) with different silicone contents ranging from 0 to 0.5 mol were successfully synthesized using acrylic acid (AA), allyl polyethoxyether (APEG-1000) and organosilicon modifier 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (MAPTMS) as monomers, and their surface properties were systematically investigated. Meanwhile, 25% tebuconazole (TEB) suspension concentrate (SC) was milled with the four P(AA3-APEG1-Six (SCP(AA3-APEG1-Six)), and the influences of P(AA3-APEG1-Six) on the zeta potential, particle size, suspension rate and rheological behaviors of the 25% TEB SC were also studied. The results showed that P(AA3-APEG1-Si0.5) had the lowest surface tension by maintaining an AA:APEG-1000 mole ratio of 3 : 1, and changing the MAPTMS additive amount from 0 to 0.5 mol. Additionally, the obtained TEB SCP(AA3-APEG1-Six) system exhibits shear thinning behavior under high shearing rate, showing typical features of a pseudo-plastic non-Newtonian fluid, which conforms to the Power-law model. More importantly, the SCP(AA3-APEG1-Six), especially for P(AA3-APEG1-Si0.5), exhibited relatively minimum change in particle size and zeta potential compared to that of the unmodified polymers, and displayed superior suspension rate. Significantly, TEB SCP(AA3-APEG1-Six) showed excellent wetting and spreading behavior on plant leaves, which contributes to obviously improving pesticide utilization.

In this study, a novel self-healing material with a dual-network composed of a cross-linked structure by Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry interconnected with self-assembled π-conjugated polymer nanofibrils was developed for application in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. A poly(caprolactone-co-furfuryl glycidyl ether)-block-hydrogenated polybutadiene-block-poly(caprolactone-co-furfuryl glycidyl ether) copolymer (PCLF–HPB–PCLF) was synthesized and used as the primary molecular skeleton for incorporating graphene nanosheets (GNS). This was followed by the addition of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as the dispersant, which effectively promoted the dispersion of GNS through π–π interactions. Through an aging process, P3HT progressively self-organized into nanofibrils, forming an interpenetrating network that effectively prevented the GNS from restacking. Moreover, 1,1′-(methylenedi-4,1-phenylene)bismaleimide (BMI) was added to the hybrid. Within the multicomponent system, the different diene/dienophile pairs of furan/maleimide, graphene/furan, and graphene/maleimide underwent multiple DA reactions, resulting in a cross-linked structure that was interconnected with the nanofibrillar P3HT network. This dual-network structure facilitated the enhancement of GNS dispersion, thereby improving the uniformity of the internal structure of the material system and endowing it with sufficient plasticity through the triggering of the retro-DA reaction. Specifically, the nanocomposite (containing 5 wt% GNS and 10 wt% P3HT) with a dual-network structure exhibited excellent self-healing and reprocessing abilities. By contrast, the composite (containing 5 wt% GNS) with a single-network structure by DA chemistry exhibited poor self-repairing and remolding properties. In addition, the dual-network hybrid had excellent electrical properties, with a conductivity of 303.6 S m−1 and an EMI shielding effectiveness of 24.4 dB in the X-band frequency range. These results clearly demonstrate the synergistic effect of the self-assembled π-conjugated polymer network in enhancing the dispersion of GNS in a DA cross-linked system. The present findings provide a promising direction for the development of novel multifunctional durable materials, showing potential for future electromagnetic applications.

Metal-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are the desired materials for metal–air batteries. Here, low-cost metal-free electrocatalysts of N-doped graphene supported on N-rGO nanosheets (N-graphene@N-rGO) using the composites of copper-based metal–organic frameworks (Cu-BTC) supported on GO (Cu-BTC@GO) for the efficient ORR are reported. The dispersant of GO was introduced into the structure to prevent the aggregation of Cu-BTC, and Cu-BTC could also provide steric hindrance to prevent the GO nanosheets from being stacked. The results indicate that N-graphene@N-rGO had more excellent ORR performance, better durability, and better methanol tolerance than 20 wt% Pt/C in alkaline solution. In addition, the peak power density of a two-electrode zinc–air (Zn–air) battery assembled with N-graphene@N-rGO as the cathode was 139 mW cm−2, which was higher than that of 20 wt% Pt/C (120 mW cm−2). Therefore, N-graphene@N-rGO using the synergy of N-graphene and N-rGO is a promising candidate compared to precious metal-based electrocatalysts for efficient Zn–air batteries.

The research on the ceramic/metal composites with interpenetrating continuous lamellar structure has attracted much interest in structural materials field. In this work, we proposed an innovative approach to fabricate co-continuous ZrB2–SiC/Zn–5Al composites by combining freeze casting with ultrasonic-assisted spontaneous infiltration. The ZrB2–SiC porous ceramic with orderly lamellar channels (30 vol%) was fabricated by freeze casting using ammonium polyacrylate as the dispersant. The effects of ultrasonication duration on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated in detail. Results indicated that the ultrasonication improved the wettability and facilitated the spontaneous infiltration. The composites obtained the excellent comprehensive properties when the duration was 300 s, which can be attributed to not only the sufficient infiltration of lamellar channels but also the longer infiltration distance inside the ceramic walls induced by the ultrasonic capillary and cavitation.

Purpose This paper aims to study the effect of the new modified dispersing agent, milling time of the properties and particle size distribution (PSD) of inkjet ink formulation for polyester fabric printing. Design/methodology/approach The study’s methods include preparation of different formulations of textile inkjet inks based on different types of dispersing agents, then applying and evaluating the prepared formulations on the polyester fabric. The properties of the prepared ink formulations were analyzed by measuring viscosity, surface tension and particle size. The current work is including the study of the effect of using different doses of different dispersing agents and the milling time on their characteristics. Also, the study was extended to evaluate the printed polyester by using the prepared inks according to light fastness, washing fastness, alkali perspiration fastness and crock fastness. Findings The results showed that the used dispersing agents and the different milling time enhanced the viscosity and dynamic surface tension in the accepted range, but it was largely cleared in the PSD which tends to perform the inks on the printhead and prevent clogging of nozzles. Light fastness, washing fastness, alkali perspiration fastness and crock fastness gave good results in agreement with this type of inkjet inks for textile printing. Research limitations/implications In this work, good results were obtained with this type of dispersing agent for inkjet ink formulations, but for other dispersing agents, other tests could be performed. The inkjet ink could also be formulated with other additives to prevent clogging of nozzles on the printhead. Practical implications These ink formulations could be used for printing on polyester fabric by the inkjet printing. Originality/value Recently, there was a considerable interest in the study of the effect of PSD on the inkjet inks to prevent clogging of nozzles on the printhead and to improve the print quality on the textile fiber.

Digital light processing (DLP) is regarded as one of the most promising 3D printing technologies to process ceramics, however the precise composition of the slurry and the optimisation of the debinding process are still challenges that need to be overcome. In this work, both the dispersion and rheological behaviour of the zirconia slurry were studied using rheometery and UV-vis spectroscopy, and optimising the dispersant concentration was found to have significant benefits. Zirconia green parts were fabricated with zirconia slurry based on DLP technology, which exhibited good dimensional resolution under an exposure energy dose of 15 mJ cm-2. In addition, the debinding process was studied using TGA and an optimised approach was designed and developed. Dye penetration and SEM results showed that debinding under argon, rather than flowing air, could lead to crack-free parts at heating rates of either 0.2 or 0.5 °C min-1, though the former yielded slightly better results overall.

Common ultrasonication and centrifugation techniques could be utilized for dispersion of carbon nanotubes in solvents. However, there are few studies investigating the effect of concentration of species on stability of surfactant modified suspensions focusing on specific dispersants. Therefore, in this study, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, sedimentations tests, zeta (ζ) potential and dynamic light scattering analyses (DLS) were used as tools to estimate the optimal surfactant to multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) weight ratio in stable centrifuged suspensions. MWCNTs colloids were prepared via addition of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) with ultrasonication and centrifugation in isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Coupling information gathered from overlapped absorption spectra and weighed dried sediments enabled estimation of MWCNTs concentrations in centrifuged suspensions (supernatant). By utilizing sediments weight and zeta potential observations, optimum SDBS/MWCNTs weight ratios were calculated. The results have shown that the SDBS/MWCNTs ratio should be 9 or higher in supernatants in order to obtain stable suspensions. It was also observed that increasing SDBS/MWCNTs concentrations over 9 in supernatants gradually decreased the zeta potentials of studied suspensions. Higher SDBS/MWCNTs ratios, also decreased settling velocities that were attributed to increased viscosity of supernatants. In addition to overlapping spectra technique, which relies on utilization of spectra related to centrifuged and uncentrifuged suspensions only for quantitative analysis, differential UV–Vis spectra were also utilized for the assessment of SDBS/MWCNTs ratios in supernatants. Presence of SDBS in supernatants (prepared by removing contribution of MWCNTs by using COOH modified MWCNTs’ UV–Vis absorption spectrum) exhibited an unexpected hyperchromic shift in maximum wavelength in spectra leading to misleading estimations of surfactant concentrations.

In the traditional raw materials used for preparing Sialon ceramics, hydrolytic AlN, cannot easily be used for aqueous gelcasting. To overcome this problem, a new type of gelcasting technique was developed. By introducing 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) as a solvent, Sialon ceramics were formed using a low-viscosity non-aqueous gel system based on the 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) gelling agent in this work. Based on this gel system, the rheological properties of the slurry and the solidification and sintering properties of Sialon ceramics were studied. The results show that the best rheological properties of slurry can be obtained with the dispersant dosage of 6 vol%. As the HEMA content increases, the flexural strength of the green bodies increase. When the ratio of HEMA to TMPTA (trimethylolpropane triacrylate) is 10:1 and the HEMA content is 15 wt%, the flexural strength of the green body reaches a maximum of 13.07 MPa. β′-Sialon ceramic has the best comprehensive mechanical properties at the sintering temperature of 1700 °C. Its bulk density, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness and flexural strength were 3.207 g/cm3, 1484 HV, 7.11 MPa m1/2 and 351 MPa, respectively.

All intrinsic properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are directly determined by their chirality. Commercially available SWCNTs powder samples are usually mixtures of various chiralities. High-performance carbon nanotube devices, sensing, imaging and other applications require the use of SWCNTs with consistent properties, which imposes requirements on the structural sorting of SWCNTs. As an emerging technology for sorting SWCNTs, the aqueous two-phase (ATP) extraction method exhibits stable and reliable sorting results. It is simple, efficient, and easy to scale up and does not require complicated equipment. This review focused on the aqueous two-phase sorting of surfactant-SWCNTs and DNA-SWCNTs. By explaining the effects of dispersant, salt, pH and other sorting conditions on sorting result, the sorting mechanism of aqueous two-phase extraction of SWCNTs are explained. In the end, the characteristics of the aqueous two-phase extraction of DNA-SWCNTs and surfactant-SWCNTs are compared, followed by the discussion of its possible research directions in the future.

In this study, a facile and effective solvothermal treatment-coupled ultrasonic exfoliation strategy was developed to prepare porous red phosphorus nanosheets (RP PNS) with a high yield output. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was chosen as the dispersant agent to avoid the waste of raw RP materials and to enhance the fragmentation efficiency during the size-reduction process. The BET-specific surface area can reach 84.37 m2/g, which is the highest value to date. Additionally, the obtained RP PNS sample exhibits an excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 1169.4 μmol h-1 g-1, a nitrogen fixation rate of 450.4 μmol h-1 g-1, and a 94.3% removal efficiency of 120 mg/L Cr(VI), which are much higher values than those of block RP and micro RP. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the RP PNS sample having a larger specific surface area, more effective mass transfer through the interconnected porous nanosheets, and a higher charge transfer efficiency and carrier density.

Two diblock polymer dispersants (i.e., PMAA-b-AMPS and PSSS-b-GMA) were synthesized and used as water-based dispersants for dispersion and stabilization of waterborne ceramic ink with submicron-sized praseodymium-doped zirconium silicate (Pr-ZrSiO4) pigment. The color property, dispersion, and stability of the pigment particles in aqueous suspension were determined by colorimetry, laser particle size analysis, and sedimentation test. The adsorption mechanism of carbon chains of dispersants on the particle surface was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrokinetic potential measurement. Also, the viscosity, surface tension and stability of waterborne ceramic ink with the pigment particles were measured by rheometry, surface tension analysis and standing settlement. The results show that the submicron-sized pigment particles in waterborne ceramic ink show optimum dispersibility and stability at 5 wt% addition of diblock polymer dispersants PMAA-b-AMPS and PSSS-b-GMA mixed in a mass ratio of 9:1. This could be since the mixed dispersants provide the more interparticle electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance energies due to the proper adsorption on the particle surfaces. It is indicated that adding 20 wt% of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether into the waterborne ceramic ink can effectively enhance the viscosity and reduce the surface tension, thus satisfying the applied requirements in inkjet printing. In addition, the jettability of waterborne ceramic ink on a simulated ceramic green body was also evaluated based on semi-empirical analysis.

Biphasic hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate foams were prepared using the replication technique starting from a precipitated hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2: HAP) powder, and sodium glycerophosphate (GP). The effect of the grinding time, solid loading, dispersant amount, and etching, replication, and sintering processes were investigated. The SEM, OEM and FTIR analyses proved that the surface of the polyurethane template must be treated with NaOH solution to make it more hydrophilic prior to the coating process. With a solid loading of 40 wt-%, the slurries prepared from the precipitated hydroxyapatite presented a shear thinning behavior, which was useful for the coating process. The SEM analysis of the foams showed that the optimum number of coating layers to obtain foam with an identical structure with the template was limited to three. The use of GP and the optimized preparation parameters helped to decrease the consolidation temperature of the ceramic foams to 1000 °C. The XRD and FTIR analyses of the prepared foams showed that the thermal treatment of the GP and the HAP mixture led to a partial decomposition of the HAP to tricalcium phosphate. The fitting of the XRD patterns and the obtained lattice parameters proved that the decomposition was accompanied by the insertion of sodium from GP toward the lattice of tricalcium phosphate and the formation of Na-β-tricalcium. The results of the SEM analysis, the pore size distribution and the mechanical strength showed that the presence of the Na-β-tricalcium reduced the pore size distribution from 500-2700 to 100–1700 μm, decreased slightly the total porosity from 80 vol-% to 70 vol-%; and improved the mechanical strength of the obtained foam from 1.56 MPa to 2.60 MPa.

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) applied as surface modifier of zero-valent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) for electronic printing inks has great potential to replace presently used polymers, because of its favorable technical, environmental and biodegradability characteristics. Continuous synthesis (400°C, 30 MPa) of nanoparticles in supercritical water with short reaction times (1.1 s) was used to form PAA-surface-modified zero-valent (34–46 nm) CuNPs. CuNP particle sizes decreased with an increase in PAA molecular mass (5000, 250,000) and were stable as dispersions in methanol and 1-propanol, respectively. The resistivity of conductive films prepared with CuNPs decreased with an increase in heating temperature. The minimum resistivity of the PAA-modified CuNPs was 1.4 × 10−5 Ω cm at 320°C (PAA25000) and 4.2 × 10−4 Ω cm at 350°C (PAA5000), demonstrating the feasibility of PAA as a dispersant and surface modifier for CuNPs. Polyacrylic acid is thus effective as a surface modifier for zero-valent metal nanoparticles and expands the possible applications in sustainable printed electronics.

Employing zinc sulfate solution obtained from zinc oxide ore as raw material, sodium hydroxide as precipitant and PEG20000 as dispersant, ultrafine ZnO powders with different morphologies were successfully synthesized through hydrothermal method. The influences of the dosage of PEG20000 solution, molar ratio of OH−/Zn2+, reaction temperature, reaction time and Zn2+ concentration on the structures and morphologies of the ZnO powders were discussed in detail. The reaction conditions of synthesizing ZnO powders with flower-like structure were obtained as below: dosage of PEG20000 with 10% mass fraction 5 mL, molar ratio of OH− to Zn2+ 5, reaction temperature 150 °C, reaction time 8 h at Zn2+ concentration 1 mol L−1. The growth mechanism of ZnO particles with different morphologies was proposed. The ZnO powder with flower-like structure are composed of multiple micro-rods with hexagon morphology and has good photocatalytic degradation ability to degrade RhB. 20 mL RhB solution with 15 mg L−1 could be completely degraded over flower-like ZnO powder 300 mg within 3 h.

The dispersion of low surface polarity ultra-fine powders has been a technical bottle-neck in many industrial applications, including ceramic or glass decoration and solar electrodes. Herein, we report a surface modification method to improve the adsorption strength between the ultra-fine (300 nm) powder and dispersant by coating a layer of mesoporous silica on the surface of a glass frit. The modified ultra-fine glass frit shows a high density of polar surface functional groups which can increase the adsorption amount and strength between the modified powder and the dispersant, as confirmed by the adsorption experiment and IR analysis. The modified powder also was used to prepare ceramic ink which can be completely filtered under a 1 μm sized pores filter, thus satisfying the requirement of industrial ink-jet printing.

Thermoresponsive polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) molecular brushes comprising a linear polyelectrolyte backbone and poly(2-oxazoline) (POx) side chains, which exhibit a tunable lower critical solution...

A novel non-aqueous gelcasting system based on the polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with low toxicity is applied to the fabrication of lithium stabilized beta alumina solid electrolyte (Li-BASE). Triethanolamine and polyethylene glycol (MW. 1000) are used as dispersant and plasticizer, respectively. Effects of dispersant concentration, solids loading and plasticizer concentration on the rheological behavior of the suspensions are investigated and optimized. Cracking and warpage phenomena in the gelcast green body during drying process are discussed. Green body gelcast from the optimized suspension shows homogeneous microstructure with a relative density of 59.4 % and a bending strength of 17 MPa. Properties, including the relative density, phase composition, microstructure, bending strength and ionic conductivity, of Li-BASEs sintered from green body formed by gelcasting and cold isostatic press are evaluated. Results show that gelcasting forming technique performs well in preparing BASE ceramics with high Weibull modulus and ionic conductivity.

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramic slurry with high-solid loading, low-viscosity and high curing depth was prepared by using a surface modifier (silane coupling agent) directly as the dispersant. The effect of the interaction between modified Si3N4 powders and prepolymer on rheological property, kinetic stability, wettability and curing property of the slurry was investigated. The stereolithography forming mechanism of the modified Si3N4 ceramic slurry was elucidated. It is revealed that the epoxy group of KH560 can easily form an ether covalent bond with the hydroxyl group of bisphenol A epoxy acrylate (EA). This makes submicron sized Si3N4 powder well-dispersed in the premixed liquid and leads to improved rheological properties and kinetic stability of the ceramic slurry. In particular, the ether covalent bond formed between surface modified Si3N4 powder and EA reduces the surface tension of the slurry and enhances the wettability of the cured slurry layer. KH560 acts as a molecular bridge linking EA to Si3N4 powder surface and forms an EA shell structure. Therefore, the refractive index difference between the Si3N4 powder and prepolymer reduces significantly by two orders of magnitude, leading to an increase in the curing depth. These findings could be crucial for the stereolithographic fabrication of high refractive index ceramics parts with high precision and complex geometries.

This article systematically studies the relationship between the dispersity of the mixed suspension, the microstructures and the electrical properties of the ZnO varistors by adjusting the dispersant content and the pH value. The suspension dispersity was measured by viscosity, zeta potential, particle size distribution and TEM observation. The structure of the as-prepared ZnO varistors was characterized by XRD and SEM. The electrical properties were investigated by testing E-J characteristics, breakdown voltage, leakage current, nonlinear coefficient, 8/20 μs waveform current impulse and accelerated aging performance. When the suspension reached the best dispersion condition of 0.3 wt% dispersant and the original pH value, the ZnO varistors had optimum electrical properties: breakdown voltage gradient of 299.95 V mm−1, leakage current IL of 0.33 μA, voltage ratio U5kA/U1mA of 1.686, nonlinear coefficient of 46.71, and a downward trend of power consumption in the accelerated aging test.

A new strategy of 44&285 nm binary-size particles system has been proposed and discussed systematically for fabricating fine grain, high density and low resistivity indium tin oxide (ITO) target. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were used as dispersant and adhesive. The effects from PVP, PVA, sintering temperature and holding time have been systematically investigated. The target, prepared by 44 nm powders with a sintering temperature of 1550 °C and a holding time of 10 h, shows a maximum relative density of 99.31% and a minimum resistivity of 4.17 × 10−4 Ω cm. Moreover, based on 285 nm powders, the target sintered at 1550 °C for 10 h shows a maximum relative density of 99.27% and a minimum resistivity of 4.11 × 10−4 Ω cm. Significantly, 44&285 nm binary-size particles system obviously increases the density and decreases the resistivity of target. And the maximum relative density, minimum resistivity and grain size are 99.57%, 0.92 × 10−4 Ω cm and 1.34 μm, respectively. In this model, the two designed particle sizes satisfy a formula of d = ( 2 3 3 − 1 ) × D . This new strategy contributes to preparing high-quality target, promoting the development of next generation ITO functional materials.