Alumina is a technical ceramic that finds several industrial applications due to its favorable mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. For these reasons, it is often used as an electric insulator, a refractory material, and for wear-resistant components. Nevertheless, due to its hardness, alumina is hardly machinable, and conventional manufacturing technologies do not allow to create components that are characterized by complex shapes. Fortunately, the advent of 3D printing technologies gives the possibility to produce complex-shaped components made of technical ceramics at low cost and time-efficiently. One such technology is Fused Filament Fabrication, a material extrusion additive manufacturing technology initially developed for polymers but adapted to create metal and ceramic components as well. In this process, the printing parameters play a fundamental role since they can significantly impact the final density and the occurrence of internal defects of the sintered part. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign conducted to assess the best printing parameters in terms of flow and printing temperature. To this mean, the statistical approach of the Design of Experiments was used, aiming to correlate the printing variables with relative density and flexural strength. The former achieved values as high as 99%, whereas the latter, measured by a 3-point bending test, reached up to 433 MPa.
Effect of 3D Printing Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Sintered Alumina
Giammarinaro G.
;Tamburrino F.;Marconcini F.;Razionale A. V.;Paganucci F.
2025-01-01
Abstract
Alumina is a technical ceramic that finds several industrial applications due to its favorable mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. For these reasons, it is often used as an electric insulator, a refractory material, and for wear-resistant components. Nevertheless, due to its hardness, alumina is hardly machinable, and conventional manufacturing technologies do not allow to create components that are characterized by complex shapes. Fortunately, the advent of 3D printing technologies gives the possibility to produce complex-shaped components made of technical ceramics at low cost and time-efficiently. One such technology is Fused Filament Fabrication, a material extrusion additive manufacturing technology initially developed for polymers but adapted to create metal and ceramic components as well. In this process, the printing parameters play a fundamental role since they can significantly impact the final density and the occurrence of internal defects of the sintered part. This paper presents the results of an experimental campaign conducted to assess the best printing parameters in terms of flow and printing temperature. To this mean, the statistical approach of the Design of Experiments was used, aiming to correlate the printing variables with relative density and flexural strength. The former achieved values as high as 99%, whereas the latter, measured by a 3-point bending test, reached up to 433 MPa.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
