Effect of nano-TiO2 on properties of 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramic via layered extrusion forming

Layered extrusion forming (LEF), as an additive manufacturing technology, can freely form ceramic components. In this paper, 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) ceramic powder, nano-TiO2 dispersion solution and methylcellulose were used as raw materials to prepare water-based ceramic slurry with 84 wt.% solid content. The ceramic green body was then prepared by the LEF technology, following by drying, degreasing and sintering to obtain ceramic components. The effects of addition amount of nano-TiO2 dispersion solution and sintering temperature on properties of the 3YSZ ceramic were investigated. The optimal comprehensive performance of the 3YSZ ceramic was obtained when the content of nano-TiO2 dispersion solution was 4.35 wt.% and sintering temperature was 1550 degrees C, and the bending strength, linear shrinkage, apparent density were 328 +/- 5 MPa, 18.31 %, 5.9 g/cm(3), respectively. Moreover, the mechanisms of performance improvement were investigated. Finally, 3YSZ ceramic components with complex structure were fabricated by using the optimal process scheme.