A method includes: providing a mold having a plurality of mold cavities, wherein each mold cavity is bounded by a plurality of faces joined along common edges; filling at least some of the mold cavities with a sol-gel composition that includes a release agent dispersed therein; at least partially drying the sol-gel composition thereby forming shaped ceramic precursor particles; calcining at least a portion of the shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles; and sintering at least a portion of the calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide ceramic shaped abrasive particles. A sol-gel composition, shaped ceramic precursor particles, and ceramic shaped abrasive particles associated with practice of the method are also disclosed.

A method for producing abrasive particles includes the following method steps: i. preparing a starting mixture containing at least aluminium hydroxide, which mixture can be converted at least into aluminium oxide by means of heat treatment; ii. extruding the starting mixture to form an extrudate; iii. separating the extrudate into intermediate particles; and iv. heat-treating the intermediate particles. The intermediate particles are converted into abrasive particles that contain aluminium oxide, and the extrudate and/or the intermediate particles is/are subjected to an input of energy that is asymmetrical with respect to the geometry of the extrudate and/or the intermediate particles.

A method includes: providing a mold having a plurality of mold cavities, wherein each mold cavity is bounded by a plurality of faces joined along common edges; filling at least some of the mold cavities with a sol-gel composition that includes a release agent dispersed therein; at least partially drying the sol-gel composition thereby forming shaped ceramic precursor particles; calcining at least a portion of the shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles; and sintering at least a portion of the calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide ceramic shaped abrasive particles. A sol-gel composition, shaped ceramic precursor particles, and ceramic shaped abrasive particles associated with practice of the method are also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to casting cores. The teachings thereof may be embodied in methods for producing a slip and components produced using such methods. For example, a method for producing a slip may include: mixing at least one inorganic constituent with at least one binder, wherein the binder comprises at least one epoxy resin and at least one silicone copolymer.

A method for producing abrasive particles includes: i) providing a starting mixture which contains at least aluminum hydroxide and which can be converted at least into aluminum oxide by a heat treatment, ii) extruding the starting mixture in order to form an extrudate, iii) separating the extrudate into intermediate particles, and iv) heat-treating the intermediate particles. The intermediate particles are converted into abrasive particles which contain aluminum oxide, and the starting mixture is pressed through at least one nozzle element with a plurality of substantially parallel nozzle channels. The nozzle channels are preferably arranged in a mutually spaced manner over the course of the extrusion process, and the extrudate has a spiral or hollow cylindrical shape at least in some sections.

The disclosure relates to methods of fabricating of ceramic structures, and more particularly to methods of fabricating ceramic structures having profiled surfaces and more particularly to methods of fabrication of ceramic mirror blanks. In one embodiment, a method of forming a shaped ceramic article, includes: forming, via one of a cold-pressing process or pressure casting process, a green ceramic article comprising a first surface, an opposing second surface and at least one high aspect ratio feature shaped into at least one surface; heating the green featured ceramic part to form a debound featured ceramic part; and densifying the debound featured ceramic part via one of a pressureless sintering process or a hot-pressing process.

Systems and methods of thermoforming stone slabs are provided, such as by heating a stone slab while forming it to a mold. Curved stone slabs may be produced having low radii of curvature.

Cemented carbide powder compositions are provided for use in the production of various articles by one or more additive manufacturing techniques. In one aspect, a powder composition comprises sintered cemented carbide particles having at least a bimodal particle size distribution, wherein sintered cemented carbide particles of a first mode exhibit a D50 particle size of 25 m to 50 m, and sintered cemented carbide particles of a second mode exhibit a D50 of less than 10 m, and the powder composition has an apparent density of 3.5 g/cm.sup.3 to 8 g/cm.sup.3.

Systems and methods of thermoforming stone slabs are provided, such as by heating a stone slab while forming it to a mold. Curved stone slabs may be produced having low radii of curvature.

An abrasive particle includes at most three surfaces and at least one edge which has a corner at at least one end. The abrasive particle may contain a ceramic material, particularly polycrystalline -Al.sub.2O.sub.3. Abrasive particles as a whole, methods for producing abrasive particles, moulds, abrasive articles, methods for producing abrasive articles, and methods for abrading a surface are also disclosed.