3Y-TZP DLP Additive Manufacturing: Solvent-free Slurry Development and Characterization

Vat photopolymerization (VP) stands out among ceramic additive manufacturing processes for its ability to print sub-100 micrometer complex features. One of the main challenges of this process is the preparation of a homogeneous and stable ceramic slurry with a high solid load and low viscosity. In this work, different dispersants and resins were tested, aiming to provide a solvent-free slurry suitable for DLP additive manufacturing. Disperbyk-111 and PEGDA 250 stood out in the tests, providing a 40 vol% ceramic slurry with no noticeable sedimentation and viscosity of 2.3 Pa.s at 30 s-1 despite the relatively high specific surface area (15 m2/g) of the 3Y-TZP powder used compared to powders usually used for VP slurries. The adsorption of Disperbyk-111 on ceramic particles surface was investigated by FTIR. Finally, ceramic bodies were 3D printed, debound and sintered at 1500 oC for 2 h, confirming the ability to manufacture detailed dense ceramic parts.

Automated summary

This study successfully prepared a 40 vol% ceramic slurry suitable for DLP additive manufacturing by testing different dispersants and resins. Detailed dense ceramic parts were manufactured through 3D printing, debinding, and sintering process at 1500°C for 2 hours.