3D printing of ceramic composites with improved mechanical strength

Abstract: AbstractCeramic materials have a wide range of applications in many fields, but their fragility limits theiruse in high strength and high stress environments. Therefore, by combining ceramic materialswith reinforcing agents, their mechanical properties can be improved. In this study, a reinforcingmaterial (PMMA) suitable for combining with ceramics was selected and compounded usingpolymer infiltration techniques. Models were first designed and modelled using computer-aideddesign software, then printed using an appropriate 3D printing process (stereolithography) andraw material ratios to ensure that the desired porous ceramic structure was obtained. Themechanical properties of the composites were assessed by conducting mechanical tests on theprepared samples. It was observed that the polymer composite samples exhibited higher strengthand toughness compared to pure porous ceramic materials. This is due to the presence ofreinforced PMMA, which fully fills the pores of the scaffold and forms a strong matrix, thusenhancing the stiffness of the scaffold. The differences in mechanical properties of samples withdifferent structures and different porosity were also compared in order to screen for the mostsuitable porous ceramic scaffolds. The results of this study show that the mechanical propertiesof ceramic composites can be significantly improved by manufacturing them through a 3D printingprocess. This material with improved mechanical strength has potential for a wide range ofapplications in areas such as aerospace, automotive engineering and medical devices. Futureresearch could further explore the combination of different reinforcing materials and differentporous structures to obtain even higher performance ceramic composites.