Fabrication of zirconia ceramic parts by using solvent-based slurry stereolithography and sintering

This paper describes an efficient method of fabricating high-performance ceramic (HPC) parts by using solvent-based slimy stereolithography (3S) and sintering. In this study, zirconia was used as the structural material, methyl alcohol was used as the solvent, a waterborne inorganic pigment was used as the dispersant, and a visible-light-curing resin was used as the organic binder for forming the shiny. The slurry was photocured using a visible-light projector for layer-by-layer deposition in an enclosed cabinet to form a three-dimensional object. The obtained green part was sintered at high temperatures (up to 1600 degrees C) so that it densified and formed a rigid body. Thus, an HPC part with high material strength could be produced. A complete system was developed for producing complex zirconia ceramic parts with a high level of precision without the necessity of generating support structures for the overhang features. The system was determined to achieve a very fine-detailed shape (30 mu m). The mechanical properties of the obtained zirconia parts, such as flexural strength, density, and average roughness, were also investigated in this study.