Abstract: A plastically deformable aqueous ceramic slurry wherein the ceramic particles have on the surfaces thereof a closely-packed anionic surfactant bilayer or an anionic/nonionic surfactant bilayer. Such slurries are produced by: a) dispersing an amount of ceramic particles in an amount of water to form an aqueous ceramic slurry; b) adding an amount of an anionic surfactant or a mixture of an anionic surfactant and nonionic surfactant to such slurry; c) adjusting the pH value of such slurry to adsorb on the ceramic particle surfaces a closely-packed anionic surfactant bilayer or anionic/nonionic surfactant bilayer. Preferably a mixture of surfactants is used, with a mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants being highly preferred. Examples of preferred combinations are mixtures of the anionic surfactant SDS and a nonionic surfactant selected from octylphenol polyether alcohols (OPE), in particular C8H15Ph(EO)Rwherein R was 3, 5, 9.5 and 12.5.