Investigation of processing the alumina slurry through an economic vat photopolymerization process

Abstract

Vat Photopolymerization (VP) is a 3D printing process to fabricate delicate and precise ceramic parts. LCD VP is one of the most economical 3D printing processes and is less explored for ceramic materials. This work investigated the feasibility of consolidating alumina slurry (45 vol %) using an LCD-based resin 3D printer. Results show that a lower exposure time is better for building a multilayer part than a higher exposure time to avoid scattering and delamination. However, higher exposure time is required to bond the initial layers with the build platform. Fine features, such as holes lesser than 3 mm, were not possible to print due to the scattering of the light. A heating rate of 0.1 °C/min is preferable for crack-free debinding. The final sintered part showed sintering shrinkage of 25% in the x-y direction and 30% in the z-direction with a sintered density of 94%.