2019/09/05 by Apoorv Kulkarni, Kulkarni, Apoorv, Gian Domenico Sorarù +3 · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Engineering · #Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #Crafts, Textile, and Design #FOS: Physical sciences #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1909.02442
openalex publication_date 2019/09/05 · openalex created_date 2022/07/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A promising method for obtaining ceramic components with additive\nmanufacturing (AM) is to use a two-step process of first printing the artifact\nin polymer and then converting it to ceramic using pyrolysis to form polymer\nderived ceramics (PDCs). AM of ceramic components using PDCs has been\ndemonstrated with a number of high-cost techniques, but data is lacking for\nfused filament fabrication (FFF)-based 3-D printing. This study investigates\nthe potential to use the lower-cost, more widespread and accessible FFF-based\n3-D printing of PDCs. Low-cost FFF machines have a resolution limit set by the\nnozzle width, which is inferior to the resolutions obtained with expensive SLA\nor SLS AM systems. To match the performance a partial PDC conversion is used\nhere, where only the outer surface of the printed polymer frame is converted to\nceramic. Here the FFF-based 3-D printed sample is coated with a preceramic\npolymer and then it is converted into the corresponding PDC sample with a high\ntemperature pyrolysis process. A screening experiment is performed on\ncommercial filaments to obtain ceramic 3-D prints by surface coating both hard\nthermoplastics: poly lactic acid (PLA), polycarbonate (PC), nylon alloys,\npolypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polyethylene\nterephthalate (PET), and co-polyesters; and flexible materials including:\nflexible PLA, thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic polyurethane filaments.\nMass and volume changes were quantified for the soaking and pyrolysis steps to\nform a hollow ceramic skin. All 3-D printing materials extruded at 250 microns\nsuccessfully produced ceramics skins of less than 100 microns. Details on the\nadvantages and disadvantages of the different 3-D printing polymer precursors\nare discussed for this processing regime. The results are analyzed and\ndiscussed in order to provide guidance for more widespread application of AM of\nPDCs.\n