Abstract
Evolution of additively manufactured (AM) ceramics’ microstructure between manufacturing stages is a hardly explored topic. These data are of high demand for advanced numerical modeling. In this work, 3D microstructural models of Al2O3 greenbody, brownbody and sintered material are presented and analyzed, for ceramic samples manufactured with SLA-based AM workflow, using a commercially available ceramic paste and 3D printer. The novel data, acquired at the micro- and mesoscale, using Computed Tomography (CT), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion-Beam SEM (FIB/SEM) techniques, allowed a deep insight into additive ceramics characteristics. We demonstrated the spatial 3D distribution of ceramic particles, an organic binder and pores at every stage of AM workflow. The porosity of greenbody samples (1.6%), brownbody samples (37.3%) and sintered material (4.9%) are analyzed. Pore distribution and possible originating mechanisms are discussed. The location and shape of pores and ceramic particles are indicative of specific physical processes driving the ceramics manufacturing. We will use the presented microstructural 3D models as input and verification data for advanced numerical simulations developed in the project.
Highlights
Technical ceramics are modern materials with pre-engineered mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic properties demanded in multiple industrial applications
We present the microstructure of Al2 O3 ceramics at different stages of the stereolithography-based approach (SLA) workflow
The novel results on the microstructure of a greenbody, brownbody and sintered ceramic samples were demonstrated in 3D and analyzed at microscale and mesoscale
Summary
Technical ceramics are modern materials with pre-engineered mechanical, thermal and electromagnetic properties demanded in multiple industrial applications. The most abundant and well-studied technical ceramic material is Al2 O3 [1,2]. While modern ceramic-made technological parts become more compact and sophisticated in shape, a shift from traditional manufacturing approaches to additive manufacturing (AM) became evident. One of the most precise and robust methods of ceramics AM is a stereolithography-based approach (SLA) [4]. Based on our technical experience in the manufacturing of hundreds of industrial and scientific items, using the SLA technology, this method produces ceramic items from hundreds of micrometers in size to almost half of a meter, with a precision of 30–40 μm and high repeatability
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