Dispersants for Ceramic 3D Printing: The Key To Improving Print Quality And Performance

Dispersants for Ceramic 3D Printing

The selection and application of dispersants for ceramic 3D printing has become a key factor in ensuring print quality and the performance of the final product. In this paper, the role of dispersant in ceramic 3D printing, commonly used types, impact on mechanical properties, precautions for selection, commonly used dispersant for ceramic powder and commonly used dispersant for 3D printing silicon carbide ceramics will be discussed in depth.

The main role of dispersant

Dispersants directly affect the printing process and the quality and performance of the final product by improving the rheological properties, stability and uniformity of the slurry. Its main functions include:

Improve rheological properties: Ensure the uniformity and consistency of the printed material during the printing process.

Improve stability: prevent powder particles from agglomerating and maintain the stability of suspension.

Control viscosity: Ensure that the printing material has the appropriate flow, to avoid too high or too low viscosity to affect the printing effect.

Improve printing accuracy: Improve the quality and accuracy of the print layer by optimizing the use of dispersants.

Influence drying and sintering process: reduce defects in drying and sintering process.

Ensure material compatibility: Choose a dispersant that is compatible with ceramic powders and printing liquids.

The specific influence of PMA25 dispersant on the sintering of ceramic slurry is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Improved sintering uniformity: PMA25 helps to prepare a uniformly dispersed ceramic paste, which ensures that the ceramic powder can contract and fuse uniformly during sintering, reducing internal defects such as pores and cracks, thereby improving the uniformity and overall performance of the sintered body.

Increased sintering density: Since PMA25 is able to prepare a slurry with a high solid content and low viscosity, this helps to obtain a higher material density during sintering, as a higher solid content means more ceramic materials are tightly bonded during sintering.

Lower sintering temperature: A uniformly dispersed ceramic powder may require a lower sintering temperature because the contact area between the particles is larger, helping to facilitate the sintering process. This saves energy and reduces the wear and tear of high temperatures on equipment.

Reduce sintering deformation: Since PMA25 helps to prepare a uniform and stable slurry, the deformation caused by uneven shrinkage can be reduced during the sintering process and the dimensional accuracy of the sintered parts can be improved.

Optimized microstructure: Ceramic pastes prepared with PMA25 dispersant can form more optimized microstructure after sintering, such as more uniform grain size and distribution, which helps to improve the mechanical properties and thermal stability of ceramic materials.

Increased sintering speed: Uniformly dispersed powders may have faster mass and heat transfer rates during sintering, thus speeding up the sintering process and improving production efficiency.

Reduced sintering defects: Since PMA25 effectively prevents the accumulation of powders during slurry preparation and printing, defects caused by aggregates, such as holes and inclusions, can be reduced during sintering.

Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants play a key role in 3D printing ceramic manufacturing, improving print quality and production efficiency, with a summary of its key benefits:

Efficient dispersion: Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants effectively wet and disperse fine powders into light cured resins, reducing viscosity and reducing clumping for narrow particle size distribution. This is essential for the uniform dispersion of ceramic powders, helping to improve uniformity during the printing process and the mechanical strength of the final product.

High solid content: The hyperdispersant is capable of achieving high solid concentrations of ceramic suspensions up to 60-65 vol.%. The high solids content helps reduce retraction and achieve a higher density sintered body, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the final product.

Rheological control: Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants help control the rheological properties of ceramic suspensions, ensuring a high degree of fluidity, uniformity and stability. This is essential for self-leveling and recoating during 3D printing, facilitating uniform formation of the print layer.

Stability: Suspensions formulated with Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants are more stable and reliable than other dispersants. They are able to maintain homogeneity over a long period of time, avoiding delamination and cracks during the printing process.

Compatibility: Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants have good compatibility with photopolymeric (methyl) acrylates or epoxy adhesive systems and ceramic powder mixtures. This ensures that during the printing process, the dispersant does not affect the application performance of the final product.

Viscosity reduction: The hyperdispersant can effectively reduce the viscosity of ceramic suspensions, making it more suitable for 3D printing processes. The low-viscosity suspension helps reduce the stripping force during the printing process, which reduces the risk of cracks and delamination in the final product.

High concentration applications: Solsperse™ AC hyperdispersants enable high solid concentrations of ceramic suspensions, which are particularly important for end products that require high density and purity. For example, Solsperse™ AC1 and AC2 products are suitable for dispersion of small-grained materials, while AC3 and AC4 are suitable for stability control of large-grained ceramic materials that require high porosity.

The selection of suitable dispersant is of great significance to improve the quality of photocurable SIC ceramic paste and the yield of 3D printing. Through experimental testing and optimization, it is possible to determine the type and amount of dispersant that is most suitable for a particular application, thus ensuring a smooth printing process and satisfactory performance of the final product.