Abstract
Direct inkjet printing is a versatile additive manufacturing technology to produce complex three-dimensional components from ceramic suspensions. By successive printing of cross-sections, the sample is built up layer by layer. The aim of this paper is to show the different possibilities of direct inkjet printing of ceramic suspensions, like printing of oxide (3Y-TZP, Al2O3, and ZTA) or nonoxide (Si3N4, MoSi2) ceramics, featuring microstructures, laminates, three-dimensional specimens, and dispersion ceramics. A modified thermal inkjet printer was used and the ink replaced by aqueous ceramic suspensions of high solids content. The suspensions were processed in an attrition mill or agitator bead mill to reduce the grain size <1 μm to avoid clogging of printhead nozzles. Further significant parameters are rheological properties (viscosity and surface tension) and solids content which were adjusted to the requirements of the printheads. The printed and sintered samples were analysed by SEM. Mechanical properties of 3Y-TZP samples were examined as well by use of the ball-on-three-balls test. The biaxial flexural strength of 3Y-TZP specimens was up to 1393 MPa with a Weibull modulus of 10.4 for small specimens (3 × 4×0.3 mm3).
Highlights
Additive manufacturing comprises a group of technologies that feature construction of objects from 3D model data by assembly of materials, typically layer by layer [1]
The aim of this paper is to show the different possibilities of direct inkjet printing of ceramic suspensions, like printing of oxide (3Y-TZP, Al2O3, and ZTA) or nonoxide (Si3N4, MoSi2) ceramics, featuring microstructures, laminates, three-dimensional specimens, and dispersion ceramics
Depending on the technology the shape of the sample is realized by consolidating a powder bed either by addition of a binder, or by selective heat treatment, or by selective curing of a photosensitive resin containing ceramic particles, or by direct deposition of material
Summary
Additive manufacturing ( known as freeform fabrication or generative manufacturing) comprises a group of technologies that feature construction of objects from 3D model data by assembly of materials, typically layer by layer [1] By these means complex three-dimensional ceramic components can be produced directly without the need for moulds or partspecific tools. In contrast to classical 3D printing where a bonding agent is deposited in a powder bed (binder jetting), the emitted droplets in DIP contain the building material which is selectively deposited on a substrate (material jetting) [1] The latter enables additive manufacturing of layers and (micro) structures as well as complex threedimensional geometries from ceramic suspensions with high solids content. The drop-wise use of varying materials makes it possible to introduce internal stresses even in complex geometries
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