Polymethyl Methacrylate Content Research Articles

Highly Robust, Pressureless Silver Sinter-Bonding Technology Using PMMA Combustion for Power Semiconductor Applications.

This study presents the development of a highly robust, pressureless, and void-free silver sinter-bonding technology for power semiconductor packaging. A bimodal silver paste containing silver nanoparticles and sub-micron particles was used, with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as an additive to provide additional thermal energy during sintering. This enabled rapid sintering and the formation of a dense, void-free bonding joint. The effects of sintering temperature and PMMA content on shear strength and microstructure were systematically investigated. The results showed that the shear strength increased with rising sintering temperatures, achieving a maximum of 41 MPa at 300 °C, with minimal void formation due to enhanced particle necking facilitated by PMMA combustion. However, at 350 °C, the shear strength decreased to 35 MPa due to cracks and voids at the copper substrate-copper oxide interface caused by thermal expansion mismatch. The optimal PMMA content was found to be 5 wt.%, balancing sufficient thermal energy and void reduction. This pressureless sintering technology demonstrates significant potential for high-reliability applications in power semiconductor modules operating under high-temperature and high-stress conditions.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) deposition and removal optimization in CVD-grown graphene transfer: A Taguchi technique study

The conventional method of graphene transfer involving Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) often results in residual PMMA, negatively impacting the optical and electrical properties of the transferred graphene layer. This study employs the Taguchi optimization technique to minimize PMMA contamination during the graphene transfer process. The quality of the transferred graphene layer was evaluated utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and Hall Effect measurement. The optimized conditions identified were a PMMA concentration (P) of 4.5 %, a spin rotation (S) speed of 3000 rpm, an acetone bath temperature (A) at 40 °C, and a dissolution duration (T) of 60 min. These parameters achieved a promising surface coverage of 3.42 %. Interestingly, further characterization highlighted that sample #8, prepared with different parameters (P = 12 %, S = 3000 rpm, A = 24 °C, T = 60 min), exhibited a surface coverage of 5.10 % and superior properties, including high transparency, exceptional film quality, low electrical resistance (8691 Ω), and an ID/IG ratio of 0.13. These findings suggest that the optimized conditions are suitable for applications prioritizing surface coverage, while the parameters for sample #8 are recommended for achieving minimal electrical resistance, high transparency, and superior film quality. This research contributes insights into PMMA-assisted graphene transfer, offering practical guidance for tailored processes.

4D printing and optimization of biocompatible poly lactic acid/poly methyl methacrylate blends for enhanced shape memory and mechanical properties

This study introduces a novel approach to 4D printing of biocompatible Poly lactic acid (PLA)/poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) blends using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The goal is to optimize PMMA content, nozzle temperature, raster angle, and printing speed to enhance shape memory properties and mechanical strength. The materials, PLA and PMMA, are melt-blended and 4D printed using a pellet-based 3D printer. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA) assess the thermal behavior and compatibility of the blends. The ANN model demonstrates superior prediction accuracy and generalization capability compared to the RSM model. Experimental results show a shape recovery ratio of 100% and an ultimate tensile strength of 65.2 MPa, significantly higher than pure PLA. A bio-screw, 4D printed with optimized parameters, demonstrates excellent mechanical properties and shape memory behavior, suitable for biomedical applications such as orthopaedics and dental implants. This research presents an innovative method for 4D printing PLA/PMMA blends, highlighting their potential in creating advanced, high-performance biocompatible materials for medical use.

Experimental study of light transmitting concrete with ultra-high content of polymethyl methacrylate

Light Transmitting Concrete (LTC) is an innovative material for crafting unique and sustainable architectural and civil structures. Previous studies primarily utilized optical fibers with diameters below 1.5 mm, which did not exceed 10 % of the volumetric content in concrete. This study aims to develop LTC with ultra-high light transmission capabilities while preserving its mechanical strength. An important innovation is the use of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with larger diameters than normal optical fibers. Specifically, PMMA fibers of 2.0 mm diameter and PMMA tubes of 10–20 mm diameter were employed to increase the spacing between these materials when arranged in an ultra-high volumetric content within the concrete, facilitating easier compaction of the fresh concrete. Experiments of the material's mechanical properties, microstructure, and optical performance were conducted. The findings suggest that although the increased PMMA content might reduce the concrete’s mechanical strength due to a smaller effective cross-sectional area, the LTC still achieves compressive strength exceeding 40 MPa. This underscores the viability of LTC with a substantially higher content of light transmitting functional materials compared to previous studies, while still maintaining a mechanical strength greater than normal concrete. The light transmission efficiency of LTC is nearly directly proportional to its PMMA content, and able to reach up to 30 % of the light source's intensity. Additionally, LTC with PMMA fibers provides uniform light distribution across its surface because of scattering, while LTC with larger-diameter PMMA tubes focuses light around the core areas due to direct lighting.

Effect of PMMA pore former on mechanical strength and performance of glass fibre metal-bonded porous diamond blocks with Cu–Sn–Ti solder alloys

To develop a metal-bonded diamond tool that does not require frequent dressing during grinding, a novel glass fibre metal-bonded porous diamond block is proposed. The effect of the content percentage and particle size of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) pore formers on the porosity of porous diamond blocks was investigated. The Vickers hardness and bending strength of the porous blocks with and without diamonds were tested. Wear tests were performed on the porous diamond blocks. The results show that an increase in the PMMA content (1.75–9.45 wt%) caused an increase in the porosity (2.8 %–22.9 %) and a decrease in the bending strength (8.6 %–71.9 %) and Vickers hardness (22.1 %–54.3 %), compared to those of the blocks without PMMA. An increase of PMMA size (20–40 μm diameter) caused an increase in the porosity (2 %–11.6 %), and a decrease in the bending strength (34.1 %–42.7 %) and Vickers hardness (23.7 %, 40.5 %), compared to those of the blocks without PMMA. However, excessively large PMMA particles (50–70 μm diameter) caused a decrease in the porosity and an increase in the bending strength and Vickers hardness. Increasing the porosity of the diamond blocks appropriately can reduce the need for frequent dressing and enhance the SiC removal rate. However, excessive porosity tends to accelerate diamond wear, leading to a decrease in the SiC removal rate.

Study on mechanical properties of vacuum‐infused glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic methacrylic resin composites

AbstractIn recent years, the growing environmental awareness has prompted increased attention towards the substitution of nonrecyclable thermosetting epoxy resin composite materials with recyclable thermoplastic composite materials. The objective of this study is to utilize a laboratory‐made polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA) binary liquid resin (PMBLR) to prepare thermoplastic resin/glass fiber (GF) composite materials using the vacuum‐assisted perfusion method. These composites are then compared with GF‐reinforced thermosetting epoxy resin composites. The investigation reveals a significant influence of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) content on the mechanical properties of pure MMA and PMBLR casting resins, which also incorporate N‐methyl‐N‐((1‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐3‐yl) methyl) aniline (DMA) as redox composite initiators. The optimal mechanical properties for both types of casting resins are achieved at a DMA:BPO:MMA ratio of 0.5:1.2:100. Additionally, at a PMMA concentration of 24 wt% in PMBLR under this specific initiator ratio, the composites demonstrate the most desirable properties. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of PMBLR/GF composites and epoxy/GF composites indicates that the former exhibit superior 90° tensile strength, bending strength, and short beam shear strength. The fracture morphology analysis highlights discernible micro‐ductile fracture characteristics in PMBLR/GF composites, distinguishing them from epoxy/GF composites. Dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) results further reveal a higher storage modulus and loss factor in PMBLR/GF composites when compared to epoxy/GF composites.Highlights Glass fiber‐reinforced composites were fabricated at ambient temperature. A degradable PMMA/MMA binary thermoplastic resin (PMBLR) was developed as a replacement for non‐degradable epoxy. PMBLR composites exhibit enhanced strength compared to epoxy: tensile (+18.8%), bending (+27.4%), and short beam shear (+34.3%).

Investigation on electric properties of 0.57(Bi0.8La0.2)FeO3‐0.43PbTiO3 porous ceramics prepared by burnable plastic sphere method

AbstractIn this study, 0.57(Bi0.8La0.2)FeO3‐0.43PbTiO3 (BLF‐PT) porous ceramics were fabricated by the burnable plastic sphere method using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a pore forming agent. X‐ray diffraction results reveal that BLF‐PT porous ceramics mixed with tetragonal and rhombohedral phases display the single perovskite structure, changing little for different porosities. Scanning electron microscope images show that porosity of BLF‐PT ceramics increases with the increase of PMMA content with average grain size of 3.2–3.5 μm. Different from the continuous decrease of dielectric constant εr and remnant polarization Pr, piezoelectric constant d33 of BLF‐PT porous ceramics increases initially but then drops with the increase of porosity that reaches to the maximum of 230 pC/N at porosity of 8.5 vol.%. The abnormal enhancement of piezoelectric property is attributed to the unique three‐dimensional grid porous ceramic skeleton and uniformly distributed grain size. Moreover, acoustic impedance Z of BLF‐PT porous ceramic is 11.2 MRayls at porosity of 24.3 vol.% comparing with that of 17.7 MRayls for bulk ceramics, which reduces by 58%. BLF‐PT porous ceramics at lower porosity with enhanced piezoelectric and acoustic matching performances have a great potential in the fields of underwater acoustic transducers and medical ultrasonic diagnosis.

Fabrication of poly(vinylidene fluoride)‐based composite powder coating with enhanced adhesion performance

AbstractGiven the environmental benefits, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)‐based composite powder coating was developed without using any harmful solvent. However, it still remains poor adhesion to substrates and low compatibility to acrylic resin issues. To address these challenges, PVDF was grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) through a facile and scalable reactive extrusion method. The resulting product, PVDF‐g‐GMA, was then mixed with different contents of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and the mixing was sprayed onto aluminum substrates. The PVDF‐g‐GMA/PMMA powder coating shows the excellent adhesion and corrosion resistance, particularly when the PMMA content is 30 wt%, owning to the good compatibility of PVDF‐g‐GMA and PMMA. This work opens up a new possibilities for the development of advanced composite powder coatings with improved performance characteristics.

Tungsten-based polymer composite, a new lead-free material for efficient shielding of coupled neutron-gamma radiation fields: A FLUKA simulation study

Abstract Metal-based polymer composites, a new category of advanced materials, are advantageous for effective protection of radiation field. Recent report of fabrication of tungsten (W)-Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite microcellular foams with enhanced mechanical strength properties opens up the possibility of its use in radiation attenuation. Objective of this theoretical study is to assess the efficacy of W-based polymer composite, a new lead-free shielding material for attenuating coupled neutron-gamma radiations. Current paper utilizes open-source Monte Carlo code FLUKA to evaluate shielding efficiency of PMMA composites reinforced with varying concentration W particles. Study shows that, adding even 20 vol% of W particles can significantly improve radiation shielding ability of PMMA. Performance of analogous composition Pb-based polymer composite is also examined to demonstrate its inadequacy in radiation protection compared to W-based composite. Study reveals an interesting fact that for any shield dimension, total radiation dose follows an initial descending trend with increase in heavy metal (W/Pb) proportion up to certain optimum value where dose becomes minimum, beyond that dose increases. Optimum heavy metal concentrations are found to be 70 vol% and 30 vol% for W and Pb respectively, with minimum dose for Pb shield being two orders of higher magnitude. Study is further extended to investigate shielding efficiency of conventional double-layer laminates employing W and PMMA in both high-Z/low-Z and low-Z/high-Z configurations as well as optimum concentration of W-PMMA composite and PMMA. It is shown that among all the potential designs, newly introduced composite-based double-layer shield performs best in terms of volumetric dose while single-layer optimized composite shield offers least specific dose.

Influence of the content of polymethyl methacrylate on the properties of porous Si3N4 ceramics fabricated by digital light processing

Porous Si3N4 ceramics are highly regarded as ideal materials for radomes due to their unique characteristics. However, the slurry used for the preparation of porous Si3N4 ceramics suffers from a low cure depth, making it challenging to fabricate ceramic components using DLP technology. In this study, porous Si3N4 ceramics were prepared by combining DLP technology with pore-forming agent method. The addition of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) powders with lower refractive index than that of Si3N4 powders can improve the penetration depth of ultraviolet light in the Si3N4 slurry. A systematic study was conducted to investigate the influence of the addition of PMMA powders on the properties of Si3N4 slurries and porous Si3N4 ceramics. When PMMA powders were added at 10 wt%, the slurry with a lowest viscosity of 0.13 Pa s (the shear rate is 30 s−1) and cure depth of 40.0 μm (the exposure energy is 600 mJ/cm2) was obtained. With the increase of PMMA content, porous Si3N4 ceramics experienced a gradual decrease in both the flexural strength and bulk density, while the porosity increased from 14.41% to 27.62%. Specifically, when 20 wt% PMMA was added, the resulting porous Si3N4 ceramics had a lowest bulk density (2.41 g/cm3), a maximum porosity (27.62%), and a flexural strength (435.87 MPa). The study is of great significance in establishing an experimental foundation for fabricating porous Si3N4 ceramics by using DLP technology.

Polymer-mixed Sb2Te3/Te nanocomposites exhibiting p-type to n-type conduction reversal and thermal conductivity reduction

Sb2Te3-based materials are potential room-temperature thermoelectric materials. In the present work, we choose polycrystalline Sb2Te3/Te nanocomposites and utilize Poly Methyl Methacrylate (PMMA) to reduce the thermal conductivity of Sb2Te3 samples. PMMA and polycrystalline Sb2Te3/Te were well mixed using ball milling. Pellets have been made by the cold press method. Thermoelectric transport properties of Sb2Te3/Te nanocomposites: composition, microstructure, and analysis are found to be influenced by PMMA. With increasing PMMA concentration a p-type to n-type transition has been observed because there are fewer charge carriers or the composites have a higher resistance. It is also observed that the thermal conductivity of Sb2Te3/Te nanocomposites decreases as the PMMA increases. This research paves the way for making the best thermoelectric materials by reducing thermal conductivity through the use of polymers.

A composite of polymethylmethacrylate, hydroxyapatite, and β-tricalcium phosphate for bone regeneration in an osteoporotic rat model.

The purpose of this study was to test several modifications of the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement by incorporating osteoconductive and biodegradable materials for enhancing bone regeneration capacity in an osteoporotic rat model. Three bio-composites (PHT-1 [80% PMMA, 16% HA, 4% β-TCP], PHT-2 [70% PMMA, 24% HA, 6% β-TCP], and PHT-3 [30% PMMA, 56% HA, 14% β-TCP]) were prepared using different concentrations of PMMA, hydroxyapatite (HA), and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). Their morphological structure was then examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mechanical properties were determined using a MTS 858 Bionics test machine (MTS, Minneapolis, MN, USA). For in vivo studies, 35 female Wister rats (250 g, 12 weeks of age) were prepared and divided into five groups including a sham group (control), an ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis group (OVX), an OVX with pure PMMA group (PMMA), an OVX with PHT-2 group (PHT-2), and an OVX with PHT-3 group (PHT-3). In vivo bone regeneration efficacy was assessed using micro-CT and histological analysis after injecting the prepared bone cement into the tibial defects of osteoporotic rats. SEM investigation showed that the PHT-3 sample had the highest porosity and roughness among all samples. In comparison to other samples, the PHT-3 exhibited favorable mechanical properties for use in vertebroplasty procedures. Micro-CT and histological analysis of OVX-induced osteoporotic rats revealed that PHT-3 was more effective in regenerating bone and restoring bone density than other samples. This study suggests that the PHT-3 bio-composite can be a promising candidate for treating osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures.

Three-dimensional printing of a high-impact resistant polylactic acid-based ternary polymer blend

Three-dimensional printing of polylactic acid (PLA)-based polymer blends has several benefits, including low cost, dimensional accuracy and tunability of mechanical properties. Although the addition of Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) into PLA improves the ductility of the blend, the two polymers are immiscible. This work introduced polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) into PLA/PBAT blends as a compatibiliser to improve the interfacial interaction between PLA and PBAT phases. PLA/PBAT/PMMA blends were prepared with varying concentrations of PLA, PBAT (10–20 wt%) and PMMA (0–6 wt%) for 3D printing applications. The mechanical and thermal behaviours of the PLA/PBAT/PMMA ternary blends and their suitability for 3D printing were investigated. The thermal properties of the blends were used to determine the 3D printing nozzle temperature and bed temperature. Three-dimensional printing of the polymer blends was carried out using a Bowden extruder 3D printer. Additionally, the compatibilisation effects of PMMA and interfacial interaction of the polymer phases were investigated using SEM analysis.

Preparation of three-dimensionally linked pore-like porous atomized ceramics with high oil and water absorption rates

Ceramic atomization cores are a new application of porous ceramics; however, the challenging regulation of the pore structures of porous ceramics has limited their application. To improve the low liquid absorption rates and low liquid storage capacity of porous ceramics in the field of atomization, this study used three substances, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), starch, and diatomaceous earth, to produce porous ceramics with a three-dimensional interconnected triple-porous structure by sacrificial templating. In the porous ceramics, large pores resulting from PMMA increase liquid storing capacity, medium pores resulting from the starch facilitate the transport of liquid, and small pores resulting from diatomaceous earth enhance capillary action, significantly increasing the rate of liquid absorption. By varying the PMMA contents and type of starch in the preform, water and oil storage capacities of up to 123% and 143%, respectively, can be achieved. We found that an optimized porous ceramic with dimensions of 15 mm × 15 mm × 15 mm absorbs water rapidly (reaching saturation in only 1.67 s), demonstrates good solid–liquid properties and shape stability, and is recyclable (requires drying before reuse). The proposed porous ceramics have promising atomization core and oil–water separation applications.

Characterization and Solution Properties of Poly(Methyl Metha-Acrylate) – Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Blends

Measurements of viscosity of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA)/poly ethylene glycol (PEG) blends in tetra hydro furan (THF) as a common solvent, were carried out for different blend compositions at 30, 40 and 50°C. Using the viscosity data, interaction parameters µ were computed to determine miscibility. These values revealed that the blend was miscible when the PMMA content was more than 30% of the blend. Further, the results revealed that the change in temperature has significant effect on the miscibility of PMMA/PEG polymer blends. The simple of (PMMA/PEG) blends were characterized by using (FTIR).

Tissue Remodeling After Implantation with Polymethylmethacrylate: An Experimental Study in Mice.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is a filler used for aesthetic and/or repair purposes. The response to the implantation of biomaterials varies according to factors related to the patient, the professional responsible for the application and the material used. In vitro and in vivo experimental models have been used to study aspects such as the organism/biomaterial interface and the role of macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils. This study aimed to characterize the inflammatory reactions related to polymer concentration, implantation depth and exposure time. Different concentrations of PMMA were implanted in different anatomical planes in mice. The consequences of contact with PMMA, from structural changes to the inflammatory characteristic of tissue damage, were histologically evaluated. The implantation interfered in the morphological structure of the region where it was implanted, expanding it and due to the inflammatory reaction generated, by the presence of the vehicle in the initial phase and by the collagen produced in the chronic phase. The 30% concentration of PMMA induced a greater presence of foreign body giant cells both subcutaneously, at 7, 30 and 90 days after implantation (DAI), and intramuscular at 30DAI. Tissue remodeling was more expressive in the subcutaneous region with significant density of the extracellular matrix at 90DAI. In conclusion, the foreign body reaction resulting from the implantation process acquires different characteristics depending on the anatomical plane and the concentration of implanted product, where the more superficial the implantation plane, the greater the inflammatory reaction. Moreover, PMMA concentration and the depth of implantation did not influence the collagen production.No Level Assigned This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors https://www.springer.com/00266.

Characterization of various acrylate based artificial teeth for denture fabrication

Acrylic resins-based artificial teeth are frequently used for the fabrication of dentures has and contribute a very strong share in the global market. However, the scientific literature reporting the comparative analysis data of various artificial teeth is scarce. Focusing on that, the present study investigated various types of commercially available artificial teeth, composed of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Artificial teeth are characterized for chemical analysis, morphological features, thermal analysis, and mechanical properties (surface hardness, compressive strength). Different types of artificial teeth showed distinct mechanical (compression strength, Vickers hardness) and thermal properties (thermal gravimetric analysis) which may be attributed to the difference in the content of PMMA and type and quantity of different fillers in their composition. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results exhibited that vinyl end groups of PMMA degraded above 200 °C, whereas 340–400 °C maximum degradation temperature was measured by differential thermal analysis (DTA) for all samples. Crisma brand showed the highest compressive strength and young modulus (88.6 MPa and 1654 MPa) while the lowest value of Vickers hardness was demonstrated by Pigeon and Vital brands. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs showed that Crisma, Pigeon, and Vital exhibited characteristics of a brittle fracture; however, Artis and Well bite brands contained elongated voids on their surfaces. According to the mechanical analysis and SEM data, Well bite teeth showed a significantly higher mechanical strength compared to other groups. However, no considerable difference was observed in Vickers hardness of all groups.Graphical abstract

Tuning the Sensitivity and Dynamic Range of Optical Oxygen Sensing Films by Blending Various Polymer Matrices.

In this work, eight different types of optical oxygen sensing films were prepared by impregnating indicator and matrix solution on the surface of a polypropylene microporous filter membrane. The polymer matrix of the sensing films was ethyl cellulose (EC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and their blends with different mixing ratios. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser confocal microscopy, and fluorescence spectrometer were used to investigate the morphologies and optical properties of the sensing films. Phase delay measurements under different oxygen partial pressures (PO2) and temperatures were applied to investigate the analytical performances of the sensing film for gaseous O2 monitoring. Results show that the response time of all the sensing films was extremely fast. The sensitivities and dynamic ranges of the sensing films with the blended polymer matrix were separately decreased and increased as the EC/PMMA ratio decreased, and the S-V curve of the sensing films blended with equal content of EC and PMMA exhibited good linearity under different temperatures, showing a promising prospect in practical application.

Cytocompatibility of Polymethyl Methacrylate Honeycomb-like Pattern on Perfluorinated Polymer.

In this study, we present a simple approach for developing a biocompatible polymer scaffold with a honeycomb-like micropattern. We aimed to combine a plasma treatment of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) substrate with an improved phase separation technique. The plasma exposure served for modification of the polymer surface properties, such as roughness, surface chemistry, and wettability. The treated FEP substrate was applied for the growth of a honeycomb-like pattern from a solution of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The properties of the pattern were strongly dependent on the conditions of plasma exposure of the FEP substrate. The physico-chemical properties of the prepared pattern, such as changes in wettability, aging, morphology, and surface chemistry, were determined. Further, we have examined the cellular response of human osteoblasts (U-2 OS) on the modified substrates. The micropattern prepared with a selected combination of surface activation and amount of PMMA for honeycomb construction showed a positive effect on U-2 OS cell adhesion and proliferation. Samples with higher PMMA content (3 and 4 g) formed more periodic hexagonal structures on the surface compared to its lower amount (1 and 2 g), which led to a significant increase in the pattern cytocompatibility compared to pristine or plasma-treated FEP.

Fabrication of porous PZT ceramics using micro-stereolithography technology

Based on micro-stereolithography (μSL) additive manufacturing (AM) followed by the use of the burnable plastic sphere (BURPS) technique, we present the fabrication of porous lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics. A printing slurry was prepared by mixing photocurable ceramic suspensions with various contents of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as a pore-forming agent (PFA). We found that the cure depth increased gradually with increasing PMMA content. The sintered PZT ceramics exhibited a porous microstructure of predominantly spherical pores formed by PMMA, with sizes ranging from ~15 to 35 μm. The porosity of the PZT ceramics increased from 11.3% to 21.9%, corresponding to a decrease in the density from 6.92 to 6.09 g/cm3 due to the increasing PMMA content. As the porosity increased, the acoustic impedance decreased from 24.4 to 12.6 MRayls (106 kg/m2 s). The porous PZT ceramic with 5 wt% PMMA exhibited superior dielectric and piezoelectric properties (d33 = 525 pC/N, εr = 2417, tanδ = 0.04) that were comparable to those of ceramics fabricated by conventional methods. These results suggest that μSL technology is a viable alternative for fabricating porous PZT ceramic components, especially pieces with complex geometric structures.