Abstract
The effects of relative humidity on the properties of the porous $ZrO_2$ ceramics were investigated in terms of the curing behavior of phenolic resin as a binder. The $ZrO_2$ powders containing 5wt% of phenolic resin were conditioned in a consistent chamber condition at a temperature of $50^{\circ}C$ and different humidity levels (25, 50, 75, and 95%) for 1 h. The exposure of humid atmosphere caused changes of density and microstructure in the green bodies. The higher level the powders were exposed to the humid atmosphere, the lower green density was obtained and the more irregular microstructure was observed due to aggregation by the curing of phenolic resin. After firing, the porosity of specimens has risen from 35.7% to 38.1% and Young's modulus has declined in response to the variation of green density. These results could be explained by the degree of resin cure which was associated with the area under the exothermic peak enclosed by a baseline of DSC thermogram curve. Also, the curing behavior of phenolic resin according to relative humidity has been confirmed by decrease of ether groups which have interacted with the phenolic-OH group and the hexamine as a curing agent. Consequently, it could be demonstrated that increase the relative humidity during fabrication of porous $ZrO_2$ diminished the compaction and properties of specimens after firing owing to curing of phenolic resin.
