Fracture and mechanical properties of lightweight alumina ceramics prepared by fused filament fabrication

Fused filament fabrication (FFF), as one of the additive manufacturing technology, provides cost-effective and relatively fast preparation of 3D objects of desired dimensions and design. In this work, a composite filament containing 50 vol. % of sub-micron alumina powder was successfully used for the manufacturing of samples with prismatic design. The influence of the layer thickness (0.1-0.3 mm) on the final bulk density and mechanical properties were investigated. Sintering at 1600 degrees C for 1 h results in relative densities ranging from 80 to 89% and the flexural strength reached 200-300 MPa depending on the layer thickness used for the printing.