3D printing of high solid loading zirconia feedstock via screw-based material extrusion

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2023

Abstract

Zirconia ceramic (3Y-TZP) feedstocks with solid loadings from 50 vol% to 68 vol%, in a 60:40 paraffin wax to LDPE ratio binder system, were prepared and printed using a screw-based material extrusion printer. A two-step debinding process involving solvent debinding (cyclohexane + ethanol) and thermal debinding (140 degrees C-600 degrees C at 0.2 degrees C/min) followed by sintering at 1500 degrees C for 2 h was employed. Tests performed include TGA, density test, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness, XRD, and SEM. The TGA result showed two significant drops in weight starting at 180 degrees C and 380 degrees C, which corresponds to the decomposition of paraffin wax and LDPE, respectively. A minimum of 40 wt% of soluble binder was removed from the green sample after solvent immersion for 3 h at 40 degrees C for solid loadings & GE;55 vol%. High solid loading feedstocks produced samples with comparable density, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness, which are 97.5%,-12.3 GPa, and-5.5 MPa m1/2, respectively; while XRD and SEM shows no adverse tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation and grain growth, respectively. This study demonstrates that 3D printing of granular 3Y-TZP ceramic feedstock via screw-based material extrusion technique is feasible even with high solid loadings, which is usually difficult to fabricate into flexible filaments and print due to high viscosity.

Keywords

Additive manufacturing, ZrO 2 feedstock, Mechanical properties, Debinding defects

Publication Title

Ceramics International

Divisions

mechanical

Funders

UTAR Research Fund [Grant No: IPSR/RMC/UTARRF/2021-C1/T08],Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman,Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology

Volume

49

Issue

15

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Location

125 London Wall, London, ENGLAND

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