Abstract
In this work, a customized 3D ceramic printer was successfully designed and constructed. Three ceramic materials, alumina, Bioglass 45S5 (Bioglass), and zirconia were 3D printed into a C-ring shape by extruding the ceramic slurries. Once the 3D-printed specimens were in green state, a sintering process was performed. The microhardness values of the 3D-printed ceramic specimens were measured using a Vickers hardness tester. The hardness of the specimens increased from 37 ± 3 to 112 ± 5 HV0.2 for alumina, 23 ± 5 to 35 ± 1 HV0.2 for Bioglass, and 22 ± 5 to 31 ± 3 HV0.2 for zirconia, before and after the sintering process, respectively. These results, synthesis of slurries, the formation of specimens, and the mechanical properties, demonstrate the feasibility of 3D printing ceramic materials using a customized 3D ceramic printer.
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Acknowledgements
The study is supported by the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Institute (MURI) at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (Director: Dr. Dominique Galli). Jing Zhang and Yeon-Gil Jung acknowledge the additional financial supports provided by the research project entitled “Development of ceramic core for fabricating 450 mm impeller with flow thickness of 4 mm based on 3D printing technology, and its commercialization technology” funded by Jin Sung Precision Metal Co., Ltd., Republic of Korea. Yeon-Gil Jung and Jing Zhang acknowledge the additional financial supports provided by the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea (No. 20172020108530), and by “Human Resources Program in Energy Technology” of the KETEP and MOTIE of the Republic of Korea (No. 20174030201460). The authors would like to thank Krystiana Kosobucki for editing. The authors would also like to thank Professor Rodney Trice and Dr. Valerie Lynn Wiesner at Purdue University for their valuable guidance in preparing the alumina slurry.
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Owen, D., Hickey, J., Cusson, A. et al. 3D printing of ceramic components using a customized 3D ceramic printer. Prog Addit Manuf 3, 3–9 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-018-0037-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40964-018-0037-3