The third and last part of this review about stabilization and rheological aspects of ceramic suspension gathers the knowledge in the two parts previously published. Here, the electrostatic and steric phenomena, related to the electrical double layer and polymeric molecules adsorption, respectively, are combined to explain the electrosteric stabilization mechanism of ceramic suspensions. The deflocculants used to afford such dispersion mechanism cover a specific kind of polymer, named polyelectrolytes, which are macromolecules that are ionizable in solution. The study of how the polyelectrolytes behave is justified due to the large use of this polymeric product in the ceramic industry. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) are examples of polyelectrolytes that are widely used in the processing of alumina based materials. The medium pH and ion concentration are strengthened, and the importance of the ionic strength is emphasized. As a practical application, the stability of alumina-PMAA system is presented. The viscosity and dispersion behaviour of the suspension are also reported. This study is concluded presenting results concerning the effect of molecular weigth on the suspension viscosity, and shows that it is not enough to select a polymer considering just its class. It is fundamental to specify the average molecular weight of the selected polymer.
