Binder Jetting Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics: Comparison of Flowability and Sinterability Between Raw and Granulated Powders

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study is to compare three different feedstock powders for the binder jetting process by characterizing their flowability and sinterability. Binder jetting additive manufacturing is a promising technology for fabricating ceramic parts with complex or customized geometries. Granulation is a promising material preparation method due to the potential high sinterability and flowability of the produced powder. However, no study has been made to systematically compare raw and granulated powders in terms of their flowing and sintering behaviors. This paper aims at filling this knowledge gap. Two raw powders (i.e., fine raw powder of 300 nm and coarse raw powder of 70 μm) and one granulated powder from spray freeze drying were compared. Different flowability metrics, including volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate, Hausner ratio, Carr index, and repose angle were measured. Different sinterability metrics, including sintered bulk density, volume shrinkage, and densification ratio were compared for all three powders. Results show that granulated powder achieved comparably high flowability to that of the coarse raw powder and also comparably high sinterability to that of the fine raw powder. Moreover, suitable metrics for the characterization of the sinterability and flowability for these three powders are recommended. This study suggests spray freeze drying produces high-quality feedstock powder for binder jetting process.