The ceramic injection molding (CIM) process is a cost-effective powder-based near net shape manufacturing process for large-scale production of complex-shaped ceramic functional components. This paper presents the rheological analysis of environmentally friendly CIM feedstock formulations based on the binder components polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and polyethylene gycol (PEG). The prepared PVB/PEG-based alumina molding compounds were investigated with respect to their PVB:PEG ratios as well as to their powder filling degrees in the range between 50 and 64 vol.%. Corresponding viscosities and shear stresses were determined for increasing shear rates to show the effects of increased PEG content and solid loadings on them. Two single reactor components were injection molded and subsequently joined in their green state for fabrication of an alumina microreactor. The intended purpose of the alumina microreactors is their potential application as wear-resistant and hydrothermal stable multifunctional devices (µ-mixer, µ-reactor, µ-analyzer) for continuous hydrothermal synthesis (CHTS) of metal oxide nanoparticles in supercritical water (sc-H2O) as the reaction medium.

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Ceramic films with high values of ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and dielectricity with perovskite structure, like lead zirconate titanate (PZT, PbZrxTi1‐xO3), lead strontium titanate (PST, PbxSr1‐xTiO3), and barium strontium titanate (BST, BaxSr1−xTiO3), are subjects of intensive research due to their use in sensors, energy harvesters, capacitors, and FeRAMs. Here a novel, simple way to produce micropatterned perovskite PST thin films on silicon substrates by a polymer‐based direct UV‐lithography process is presented. By acrylic acid modification of PST precursor sols it is possible to generate photosensitive metal organic PST precursor xerogel films by spin‐coating and subsequently drying on silicon wafers. These films can be patterned by UV‐lithography and developed with organic solvents. The resulting patterned gel films can be crystallized in air via rapid thermal annealing. The obtained perovskite thin ceramic films are polycrystalline and fine grained. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40901.