Additive manufacturing of ceramic materials
Loading...
Date
2026-07-09
Authors
Λιάπη, Χριστίνα
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing manufacturing technologies of recent decades. Unlike conventional manufacturing methods, which rely on material removal or complex tooling processes, additive manufacturing builds compo-nents layer by layer directly from digital models. The ability to fabricate geometrically complex struc-tures with high precision, reduced material waste and increased design freedom has led to the wide-spread adoption of AM in fields such as aerospace, biomedical engineering, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
Interest has been focused on the additive manufacturing of ceramic materials, which are character-ized by high hardness, excellent thermal and chemical stability and outstanding wear resistance. De-spite these advantages, the brittle nature of ceramics and demanding thermal treatment processes required for their densification make ceramic 3D printing particularly challenging. Among the available additive manufacturing technologies, Digital Light Processing (DLP) has emerged as one of the most promising approaches for producing highly accurate ceramic components through the photopolymeri-zation of ceramic-filled resins.
The present thesis focuses on the development, processing and characterization of an alumina-based photocurable ceramic slurry suitable for DLP 3D printing. Initially, the fundamental principles of additive manufacturing, the major 3D printing technologies, the properties of ceramic materials and the challenges associated with ceramic additive manufacturing are presented. Emphasis is given to the op-erating principles of DLP technology, the photopolymerization process, ceramic slurry formulation and the parameters affecting its rheological behavior and printability.
For the preparation of the ceramic slurry, commercially α-alumina powder was used as the ceramic phase, combined with photocurable resins, a dispersing agent and a photoinitiator. Homogenization was achieved through ball milling process, while the rheological behavior of the slurry was evaluated using a rotational rheometer. Subsequently, samples were fabricated using a DLP ceramic 3D printer, and the printing parameters were optimized to achieve successful and repeatable printing.
The raw materials and printed samples were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffrac-tion (XRD), optical microscopy and thermal conductivity measurements. In addition, the influence of the sintering process on the printed samples was investigated, with particular attention given to di-mensional changes, morphology and physical characteristics.
The results demonstrated that the ball milling process significantly improved the homogeneity of the ceramic slurry, while viscosity measurements confirmed suitable flow behavior for DLP printing applications. Successful fabrication of printed samples and optimal printing parameters investigation was achieved. Raman and XRD analyses confirmed the presence of α-alumina in the printed samples, whereas thermal conductivity measurements provided valuable information regarding the thermal per-formance of the fabricated structures.
Overall, this work highlights the potential of DLP technology for the fabrication of alumina-based ce-ramic components and contributes to a better understanding of the parameters governing ceramic slurry preparation, printing performance and thermal processing. The findings provide a useful founda-tion for further research and optimization of ceramic additive manufacturing processes for advanced industrial and technological applications.
Description
Keywords
Ceramics, 3d printing, Digital light processing (DLP)