Fabrication of porous aluminum ceramics beyond device resolution via stereolithography 3D printing

Abstract

This paper presents a new method for fabricating high-resolution porous ceramics using the 3D printing technology. Stereolithography 3D printing was used to create porous alumina parts with polyamide 12 (PA12) powder, alumina ceramic particles, and acrylic resin as the sacrificial porogen, aggregate, and mixture, respectively. After subsequent de-binding and sol impregnation treatments, a porous alumina part with a particle size of 15 μm was obtained after sintering. The use of aluminum sol enhanced the mechanical properties of porous alumina ceramics, thus enhancing their strength. A discrete element method model was used to simulate and explain the results, thereby providing insights into the optimization of the method design. Accordingly, this study demonstrated the potential for using the stereolithography 3D printing technology to fabricate high-resolution porous ceramics with tailored properties for various applications.