Additive Manufacturing of Ceramic-based Materials: Process Development, Materials, Process Optimization and Applications: Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics-based Materials I
Sponsored by: ACerS Basic Science Division, ACerS Engineering Ceramics Division, ACerS Manufacturing Division
Program Organizers: Lei Chen, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Xuan Song, University of Iowa; Xiangyang Dong, Arizona State University; Yiquan Wu, Alfred University; Paolo Colombo, University of Padova; Rajendra Bordia, Clemson University; Long-Qing Chen, Pennsylvania State University

Monday 8:00 AM
October 10, 2022
Room: 307
Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Session Chair: Lei Chen, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Richard Thuss, TTEC LLC


8:00 AM  Invited
Transparent Alumina Fabricated by Energy Efficient Spark Plasma Sintering: Eugene Olevsky1; CheolWoo Park1; Elisa Torresani1; Chris Haines2; 1San Diego State University; 2US Army DEVCOM - Army Research Laboratory
    In this study, transparent alumina is produced by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using three types of experiments that are compared and analyzed to check sample properties and energy savings. The output power during SPS significantly decreases when a typical energy efficient configuration using a boron nitride coated graphite foils is used, but most samples have cracks. The presented new method results in the prevention of cracks, full densification, and uniform transparency in alumina. Furthermore, energy consumption is significantly lower in the energy efficient SPS configuration compared to the traditional SPS configuration. The developed method has potential for fabricating transparent ceramic of various materials with uniform transparency.

8:40 AM  
A Study of Lithography-Based Additive Manufacturing of Ceria Ceramics: Ryan Fordham1; Nicholas Voellm1; Shawn Allan1; Nicole Ross1; S.K. Sundaram2; 1Lithoz America; 2Alfred University
    Cerium oxide (ceria) is well-known for applications in various fields, including nuclear applications, abrasives, electro ceramics, catalysts, and medicine, and understanding the working mechanisms of lithography-based manufacturing of ceria will help advance these fields. This investigation focused on the effects of modulating process parameters for additive manufacturing of ceria with a CeraFab 8500, 3D printer. A parametric study was designed to map the effects of process parameter alterations of 3D printed ceria parts. Characteristics such as grain size, porosity, stoichiometry, and density were used to compare printed samples with traditionally processed ceria. Ceria powder with a particle size of 0.5 μm and slurry solid loading of 47.9 vol% produced high-density ceramics with complex structures and geometries when sintered to 1350°C. A maximum sintered density of 98.3% of theoretical was achieved with no apparent porosity and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to find oxidation state variation between the printed samples.

9:00 AM  
Brittle Particle Cold Spray Technology: Richard Thuss1; 1TTEC LLC
     Brittle Particle Cold Spray (BPCS) is a method for cold spray deposition of brittle materials such as semiconductors, magnetic materials and numerous other crystalline, and glassy materials across multiple functional material groups. BPCS augments existing metal cold spray and vacuum cold spray technology, expanding cold spray applications to include a wide range of brittle functional materials which can be deposited in thick and micro-thin layers using the existing cold spray infrastructure. With many applications of its own, the combination of BPCS with existing metal cold spray and vacuum cold spray technology will greatly expand the use of cold spray for multi-material additive manufacturing of complex devices, including sensors, Thermoelectric Generators and other energy harvesting devices.TTEC LLC will present the status and potential of this technology.

9:20 AM  
Ceramic 3D Printing for Investment Casting: Cindy Schick1; Richard Gaignon1; Rouslan Svintsitski1; 13DCERAM-SINTO
    In the last few decades, the need for complex core designs has dramatically increased with customer demands for more efficient engines. In order to meet this need and to reduce development times, 3DCeram and Avignon Ceramic (a French manufacturer of foundry cores by injection) created in 2021 a joint venture named U3DC with the aim of developing complete solutions for 3D printing cores (machine, materials and processes). The cores resulting from this technology have already been validated by an industrial customer for the production of turbine blades by SX investment casting and a quality equal to that obtained with traditional methods has been reached. Alongside this, 3Dceram has developed the C3600 printer which enables mass production of parts. This innovative solution to produce foundry cores brings a new dimension to the traditional industrial processes and opens up extensive perspectives in the field of investment casting.

9:40 AM  
Production of 3D Printed Electrodes for Batteries: Sina Bakhtar Chavari1; Bharat Yelamanchi1; Ana Martínez2; Alexis Maurel2; Eric MacDonald3; Pedro Cortes1; 1Youngstown State University; 2University of Texas at El Paso; 3UTEP
    It is widely known that electric devices require batteries are moving into lightweight LiFePO4 based systems. It is expected that the advancement in this field be expanded to the OuterSpace. While the use of Lithium on energy storage devices might be a constrain as a sustainable component in extra-terrestrial applications, the use of sodium or titania systems could be an alternative material, given its presence on Regolith. In this project, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of producing anode electrodes based on alternative materials such as titania using a Digital Laser Processing 3D printing technology. Different TiO2/Carbon combinations as well as optimizations of debinding, and sintering stages have been investigated to produce mechanically robust electrodes. The manufactures anodes have been assembled within battery and their electrical performance will be shown in this talk. Future studies in this research program are being focused on producing complex 3D electrode structures.

10:00 AM Break

10:20 AM  
Effects of Bimodal Particle Size Distribution on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Densified SiC-Si Composites from Binder Jetting: Mark Du1; Jonova Thomas1; Wenhua Yu1; Dileep Singh1; 1Argonne National Laboratory
    Binder jetting additive manufacturing has enabled enormous design freedom and formed new fabrication paths for advanced ceramic materials. Therefore, this promising technology has been utilized in various application scenarios, in which both mechanical and thermal properties of the printed and densified parts are of high interest. This study investigated the effects of the bimodal particle size distribution of a SiC feedstock powder on the mechanical and thermal properties of densified SiC-Si composites printed from binder jetting additive manufacturing. The bimodal SiC powder was prepared by mixing two unimodal powders. Printed parts from both powders were densified liquid silicon infiltration (LSI). Resultant relationships in terms of green density, densified density, flexural strength, and thermal conductivity were studied among the densified parts from both bimodal and unimodal feedstock powders.

10:40 AM  
Direct Ink Writing of Nanoscale Feature Ceramics via Preceramic Polymer-block Copolymer Inks: John Bowen1; Matthew Dickerson2; Jennifer Lewis3; 1UES Inc.; 2Air Force Research Lab; 3Harvard University
    Preceramic polymers offer wide flexibility in terms of processing and organization, particularly in terms of their use for nanoscale ceramic fabrication. Nanoscale ceramics are of interest due to ceramics’ intrinsic high hardness and temperature resistance in combination with nanoscale advantages such as high surface area and reduced part densities. These materials hold promise in a number of areas, whether for light-weighting parts, catalysis/separation substrates, or mechanical metamaterials. We use block copolymers to template preceramic polymers for the fabrication of bulk ceramic parts with nanoscale features. By tuning the ratio of block copolymer to preceramic polymer, we are able to access a number of morphologies and resulting ceramic porosities. These materials are also useful in direct ink writing applications and can be applied to create macroscale parts (mm-m) of arbitrary geometries with nanoscale features. These materials may be useful for energy absorption applications, among others.

11:00 AM  
Ceramic Additive Manufacturing for Innovative Zirconia-based Material: Richard Gaignon1; Helen Reveron2; Sylvain Fournier2; Guilhem Baeza2; Jérôme Chevalier2; Rouslan Svintsitski1; 13DCERAM; 2Université de Lyon-Insa de Lyon, Mateis
    High accuracy SLA 3D printing technology associated to last performing materials open today new opportunities on the technical ceramics market. Ceria-stabilized zirconia-based composites are currently intensively studied for their revolutionary characteristics: excellent mechanical resistance, plastic deformation before rupture, high Weibull modulus. Stereolitography shaping process on a new zirconia-based material with unique properties is explored. A slurry adapted to the Ceramaker process was formulated. 3D printing parameters (laser thickness, lasing power, etc..) were studied to observe their influences on green and sintered parts. Microstructures and mechanical properties were evaluated according to different sintering cycles. 3DCERAM has demonstrated the possibility to formulate and print this new ceramic composite material using its 3D SLA technology. Different thermal treatments allowed to reach densification and optimized mechanical properties. 3D shaping process generates a waited layered architecture of the parts but seems also to have an important influence on the original material microstructure.

11:20 AM  
Additive Manufacturing of Alumina Toughened Zirconia and Zirconia Toughened Alumina: Nicholas Voellm1; Shawn Allan1; Ryan Fordham1; Nicole Ross1; 1Lithoz America
    Composites of alumina and zirconia have properties that can meet the needs of high performance engineering applications, including strength, toughness, and wear resistance. Known as ATZ (alumina toughened zirconia) or ZTA (zirconia toughened alumina), depending on the relative proportions of each, these composites often exhibit the most desirable properties of each material and in some cases exceed them. ATZ in particular can achieve similar strength to high quality steels, while having much higher temperature and wear resistance, after undergoing a thermal post process known as hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Combinations of alumina-zirconia have been developed into photocurable slurries that are printable using Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM). Subsequent debinding and sintering results in a finished ceramic part. This study evaluates the strength, density, and microscopy of samples of ZTA and ATZ printed parts, as well as ATZ that has been HIPed, aiming to determine whether this forming method preserves expected properties.

11:40 AM  
Advanced Manufacturing of Controlled SOFC Electrolyte and Electrode Microstructures through Aerosol Deposition: Joshua Tenney1; Edward Sabolsky1; Harry Abernathy2; Tao Yang2; Katarzyna Sabolsky1; Evan Helgeson1; Jordan Conte1; Michael Jones1; 1West Virginia University; 2DOE- National Energy Technology Laboratory
    Utilizing additive manufacturing for the advanced manufacturing of electrodes for use within solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offers the possibility to control the microstructure and composition with resolutions of less than 20 µm. Ultrasonic atomizer spray nozzle technology accompanied with a flexible automation system has been developed to evaluate variables associated with the chemistry, particle size, and porosity architecture of the electrodes. The electrical and mechanical properties of the respective electrodes were characterized via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to properly evaluate variables associated with the additive manufacturing system. Demonstrations of manufacturing electrodes with changes in the microstructure within multiple dimensions was also investigated to exhibit the potential that additive manufacturing has to fabricate highly customizable electrodes. Development of the system to manufacture a complete SOFC through a controlled automated process was also studied.