Symposium CA
Ceramic Powders: Synthesis, Processing and Sintering
Advisory Board
Invited Lectures


Despite the number of novel processing methods today available, the classical powder route keeps up its prevalent role in relevant fields of the ceramics industry. R&D efforts continue to be very active in focusing a number of important issues to develop materials with improved or novel properties and environmentally friendly production cycles of higher reliability, reproducibility and less demanding in energy and labour.

Rational improvements of conventional methods and implementing of novel routes for powder synthesis; refined meso-and nano-scale characterisation of ultrafine powders coupled with a more accurate control of surface chemistry and interparticle forces in colloidal processing; advances in forming techniques, rapid prototyping techniques, green body characterisation and processing; progress in sintering theory and practice aimed at approaching rational design of microstructures and desired performance in the final product are among the main topics of this symposium.
Innovation in manufacturing technologies and equipment, and case studies of industrial interest will be object of discussion as well.

Session Topics

CA-1 Powder synthesis and characterisation

  • Unconventional and novel synthesis routes
    Sol-gel, hydrothermal, laser, microwave, plasma, mechanosynthesis, melt quenching, etc.
  • Progress in conventional methods
    Solid state, precipitation from solutions, carbothermal reduction, etc.
  • Powder characterisation
    Structure, phase composition, impurity distribution, morphology, state of aggregation, reproducibility, packing, flowability, etc.

CA-2 Colloidal processing

  • Surface chemistry
  • Control of interparticle forces
  • Role of additives in dispersion stability and rheology
  • Softening and removal of agglomerates, etc.

CA-3 Shape forming and compaction mechanisms

  • Surface chemistry in ceramics forming
  • Role of organic and inorganic processing aids
  • Advances in forming techniques, new routes for shape forming
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Forming of large and complex shape components
  • Printing
  • Green body characterisation and processing
  • Direct, computer assisted manufacturing of final product, e.g. by thermal spraying
  • Modelling and simulation of forming and compaction

CA-4 Sintering and related phenomena

  • Solid state, liquid phase, reaction-assisted sintering
  • Stress-assisted densification (GPS, HP, HIP)
  • Microwave, laser, spark plasma and SHS sintering
  • Rational design and control of micro(nano)structures
  • Microstructure and interface characterisation
  • Theory, simulation and modelling of sintering
  • Structure/property relationships
  • Micro- and nano-porous structures
  • Co-firing of metals and ceramics
  • Effects of sintering atmosphere

CA-5 Innovation in processing equipment and technology

  • Novel approaches for efficiency and environmental compatibility
  • Problems and case studies of industrial interest


SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT