ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF CERAMIC PARTS BY PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION: INFLUENCE OF TEST SAMPLE DIMENSIONS AND TEMPERATURE ON CHEMICAL DEBINDING EFFICIENCY

• Grant number: 24/03788-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2024
• End date: May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula da Luz
• Grantee: João Pedro Frossard Matheus
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The continuous development of new technologies has led to a new paradigm in manufacturing: developing adaptive processes that can be customized according to the needs of each user, enabling the manufacture of parts with complex geometries and at a low cost. Traditionally, large-scale ceramic production involves processes such as pressing, casting, turning, and molding, which may be complemented (or completely replaced in the future) by additive manufacturing (AM). Among the available options, Digital Light Processing (DLP) is one of the most versatile and precise techniques for producing porous or dense structures. However, in addition to the careful choice of printing configurations to produce high-quality ceramics, the properties and final performance of the parts will strongly depend on the subsequent post-processing steps (debinding and sintering), which must ensure the adequate removal of organic components and consolidation of the ceramic microstructure. With this in mind, the main objective of this project is to evaluate the efficiency of chemical debinding of alumina parts produced via DLP. For this purpose, samples produced with three different shapes (varying the surface area/volume ratio) will be analyzed when in contact with solvents (isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and chloroform) maintained at different temperatures (20 or 40C). The fraction of removed polymer and the porosity of the printed samples will be monitored as a function of the contact time with the solvent under the analyzed conditions. Additionally, the physical and microstructural properties of the test specimens obtained after chemical debinding and sintering up to 1600C will be analyzed to identify the best condition for polymer removal. Therefore, the aim is to define more suitable routes for obtaining high-quality ceramic parts obtained by AM, minimizing the appearance of unwanted microstructural defects in the post-processing stage.