The Challenge

Ceramic powders exhibit a wide range of behaviours depending on their chemistry, particle morphology, particle-size distribution, surface characteristics, and degree of agglomeration. These factors influence feedstock preparation, forming performance, green-body integrity, densification kinetics, microstructural evolution, and final component properties.

Establishing a reliable manufacturing route frequently requires a detailed understanding of the relationships between powder characteristics, processing conditions, microstructure development, and in-service performance. Variability introduced at any stage of the process can influence density, porosity, phase composition, dimensional stability, mechanical performance, and reliability.

How AMRICC Can Help

We provide technical consultancy, process-development, and pilot-scale manufacturing services for organisations developing ceramic materials, ceramic components, and powder-based manufacturing processes.

Our integrated capability combines powder processing, feedstock development, forming, thermal processing, densification, characterisation, testing, and modelling to support the development, optimisation, qualification, and scale-up of ceramic manufacturing routes.

We support organisations seeking to:

• Develop and optimise ceramic powder-processing routes prior to scale-up or production implementation
• Characterise powders and understand the influence of material properties on downstream processing behaviour
• Develop feedstocks, granules, slurries, suspensions, and formulations suitable for specific forming technologies
• Form powders into pellets, substrates, preforms, test coupons, and representative components
• Establish robust drying, debinding, calcination, and sintering schedules
• Improve densification, microstructural uniformity, and component performance
• Apply Lucideon's IMPACT™ methodologies and modelling tools to accelerate development and reduce technical risk (AMRICC is a subsidiary of Lucideon).

Our ceramic powder-processing capabilities

Powder characterisation and conditioning

A detailed understanding of incoming powder characteristics is fundamental to achieving process control and manufacturing consistency. We can evaluate the physical, chemical, and microstructural properties that influence processing behaviour and final component performance.

Our capabilities include:

• Milling, classification, sieving, and granulation
• Particle-size and particle-shape analysis
• Powder-flow and rheological assessment
• Surface-area measurement
• Chemical analysis
• SEM and XRD analysis to determine phase composition and microstructure

Feedstock development and contamination control

The successful processing of ceramic powders often depends upon the development of feedstocks that exhibit predictable behaviour during handling, shaping, drying, debinding, and sintering. We support the development of powders, granules, slurries, suspensions, and pastes tailored to specific manufacturing processes.

Relevant capabilities include:

• High-shear, low-shear, and vacuum planetary mixing
• Spray drying, including closed-loop spray drying for specialist feedstock development
• Granulation and powder conditioning
• Slurry and suspension development
• Binder, additive, and formulation optimisation

Forming and preform generation

We support the conversion of ceramic powders into green bodies, preforms, test coupons, and representative components to enable process evaluation prior to scale-up or production implementation.

Key capabilities include:

• Hydraulic and uniaxial pressing
• Cold isostatic pressing
• Extrusion and forming-process development
• Prototype and test-coupon manufacture
• Feedstock and forming-route optimisation
• Support for powder-to-component development prior to sintering, hot pressing, or HIP

Thermal process and atmosphere development

Thermal processing is critical to achieving the required density, phase composition, dimensional stability, and microstructure. Successful process development requires the optimisation of temperature profiles, heating and cooling rates, dwell periods, atmospheric conditions, and component support strategies.

We can support:

• Drying, calcination, debinding, and sintering
• Controlled-atmosphere firing
• Atmosphere selection and evaluation
• Thermal-cycle development and optimisation
• Controlled air, vacuum, inert, and specialist atmosphere processing

Vacuum, inert, and specialist atmosphere processing

AMRICC and Lucideon provide access to specialist thermal-processing equipment and expertise that can be difficult to replicate in conventional laboratory or production environments. These capabilities are particularly valuable where phase development, oxidation control, impurity management, debinding behaviour, microstructural evolution, or product performance are sensitive to the processing atmosphere.

Characterisation and validation

Development programmes only deliver value when supported by appropriate characterisation and technical interpretation. AMRICC provides a comprehensive range of materials analysis, testing, and evaluation services to support understanding of process-microstructure-property relationships and to generate evidence for qualification and scale-up activities.

For ceramic powder-processing programmes, this can include:

• SEM and microstructural evaluation
• Density and porosity measurement
• Phase and structural analysis, including high-temperature XRD
• STA, DTA, TGA, and DSC
• Dilatometry and thermal-expansion measurement
• Chemical analysis
• Physical, mechanical, and high-temperature testing

Modelling, DoE, and process optimisation

Experimental programmes can be strengthened through structured design of experiments, modelling, machine learning, FEA, COMSOL Multiphysics, and process optimisation methodologies. These approaches improve experimental efficiency, enhance data interpretation, reduce development time, and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between processing conditions, microstructure, and performance.

Why choose AMRICC?

Integrated capability

We combine powder processing, feedstock development, forming, thermal processing, densification, characterisation, and modelling within a single development pathway. This integrated approach supports ceramic material and process development from raw-material assessment through to qualified components and manufacturing processes.

Technical interpretation, not just data

Generating data is only part of the development process. Our materials scientists and engineers interpret results within the context of the material, process, and application, providing insight into the mechanisms influencing performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Pilot-scale development without disrupting production

Our facilities are designed to support low-volume, high-value development programmes where technical understanding, process optimisation, qualification evidence, and manufacturing de-risking are required prior to full-scale implementation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can AMRICC support ceramic powder-processing route development prior to scale-up?

Yes. Our services are designed to develop, optimise, and validate ceramic powder-processing routes before investment in production-scale manufacturing.

Can AMRICC support ceramic powder characterisation?

Yes. Relevant capabilities include particle-size and particle-shape analysis, powder-flow and rheological assessment, surface-area measurement, chemical analysis, SEM, XRD, zeta-potential measurement, and other analytical techniques appropriate to the material system and application.

Can AMRICC support controlled-atmosphere thermal processing?

Yes. We provide air, vacuum, inert, and specialist atmosphere thermal-processing capabilities, supporting activities such as calcination, debinding, sintering, firing-cycle optimisation, and atmosphere evaluation.

Can AMRICC support densification of ceramic components?

Yes. Relevant densification approaches include optimised powder processing, CIP-assisted forming, hot pressing, and hot isostatic pressing (HIP), depending on material requirements and target performance.

Which sectors are these services relevant to?

These services are particularly relevant to organisations operating in advanced ceramics, aerospace, defence, energy, semiconductors and electronics, medical technologies, refractories, construction materials, research organisations, and advanced manufacturing sectors where robust powder processing, controlled thermal treatment, densification, and technical qualification are critical.