Structural Ceramic Components by 3D Printing

The Three Dimensional Printing (3DP) Process hasbe~nadapted for processing of fine ceramic powders to •• prepare structllraLceramic components. Our preliminary study was designed to reveal those aspects ofthe.3DPprocesswhichmust be modified for use with fine ceramic powders. The basic elements of the modified process are to spread submicron alumina powder and printJatex binder. Several methods were used to spread thin layers of submicron powders. Gre.enparts are isostaticaUypressed followed by thermal decomposition prior to sintering to remove the polymer. The fired alumina components are greater than 99.2% dense and have·average flexural strength of324 MPa. This is lower than the best conventionally prepared alumina, but we believe that the strength results will improve as we learn more about the relationship between strength limiting flaws and the 3DP build process.Mechanical Engineerin