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Paper des Monats
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Tapes, cast by blade deposition of a lithium aluminosilicate glass slurry, were sintered using a YAG-fiber laser, with the aim of finding suitable parameters for an additive manufacturing process based on layer-wise slurry deposition and selective laser densification. The influence of the laser parameters (output power and scan velocity) on the sintering was evaluated, by scanning electron microscopy and by X-ray diffraction, on the basis of the quality of the processed layer. Well densified samples could be obtained only in a small window of values for the output power and the scan velocity. The measurement of the width of a set of single scanned lines allowed also to estimate the minimum resolution of the system along the layer plane.
Porous Si3N4 ceramics were prepared via partial nitridation and self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) process. Raw Si and additive Y2O3 were mixed and molded under 10 MPa into a compact, the compact was partial nitridation at 1300 °C to form a porous Si/Si3N4, and then it was buried in a Si/Si3N4 bed for SHS to obtain porous Si3N4 with rod-like β-Si3N4 morphology. The processing combined the advantages of the nitridation of Si and SHS with low cost, low shrinkage and time saving. Porous Si3N4 with a porosity of 47%, a strength of 143 MPa were obtained by this method.
Porous silicon nitride ceramics were prepared via sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride at 1680 °C. The grain size of nitrided Si3N4 and diameter of post-sintered ß-Si3N4 are controlled by size of raw Si. Porosity of 42.14–46.54% and flexural strength from 141 MPa to 165 MPa were obtained. During post-sintering with nano Y2O3 as sintering additive, nano Y2O3 can promote the formation of small ß-Si3N4 nuclei, but the large amount of ß-Si3N4 (>20%) after nitridation also works as nuclei site for precipitation, in consequence the growth of fine ß-Si3N4 grains is restrained, the length is shortened, and the improvement on flexural strength is minimized. The effect of nano SiC on the refinement of the ß-Si3N4 grains is notable because of the pinning effect, while the effect of nano C on the refinement of the ß-Si3N4 grains is not remarkable due to the carbothermal reaction and increase in viscosity of the liquid phase.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) covers a wide range of processes, ranging from rapid prototyping technologies for polymers to directed energy deposition and powder bed fusion processes for metals and ceramics. In all cases, AM processes involve the layer-by-layer deposition of material from a digital file. Even though these processes may be known by a variety of commercial names, the general characteristics of the processes are similar, as are their impacts on different material systems.
The flexibility of the process provides unprecedented design freedom by allowing the direct fabrication of complex geometries with unique material combinations. However, the interactions between the high energy density sources (laser and electron beams) and the materials being deposited create complex processing conditions that have a significant impact on the material properties. With the wide ranging possibilities inherent in AM produced components, a fundamental understanding of the process/structure/property relationships across different material systems will allow for specific material properties to be obtained.
This Focus Issue of Journal of Materials Research is dedicated to the most recent advances in the characterization of processing/structure/property relationships in AM produced metallic, ceramic, and polymer systems. The breadth of different properties and behaviors across these different materials systems makes the characterization of AM materials extremely complex and a fertile subject for investigation. Many of these issues are addressed in this collection of papers. Such a wide range of unique research areas and the breadth of materials examined in this issue is evidence of the scope of materials issues in additive manufacturing and a glimpse into the future.
We are grateful to both the authors and reviewers of the many high-quality manuscripts submitted to this JMR Focus Issue on The Materials Science of Additive Manufacturing.
The present study is dealing with the basic physics for a novel way to generate a free-formed ceramic body, not like common layer by layer, but directly by Selective Volume Sintering (SVS) in a compact block of ceramic powder. To penetrate with laser light into the volume of a ceramic powder compact it is necessary to investigate the light scattering properties of ceramic powders. Compared with polymers and metals, ceramic materials are unique as they offer a wide optical window of transparency. The optical window typically ranges from below 0.3 up to 5 µm wave length. In the present study thin layers of quartz glass (SiO2) particles have been prepared. As a function of layer thickness and the particle size, transmission and reflection spectra in a wave length range between 0.5 and 2.5 µm have been recorded. Depending on the respective particle size and by choosing a proper relation between particle size and wave length of the incident laser radiation, it is found that light can penetrate a powder compact up to a depth of a few millimeters. With an adjustment of the light absorption properties of the compact the initiation of sintering in the volume of the compact is possible.
Ceramic parts possessing an ordered porosity were produced for the first time by powder-based three-dimensional printing of a preceramic polymer followed by pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere. The main parameters involved in the process were investigated, and the precision of the printed and ceramized parts was assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy and micro computed tomography. The influence of two different printing solvents was investigated and the use of a mixture of 1-hexanol and hexylacetate in particular allowed the production of parts with a relative density of 80% both in the polymeric and in the ceramic state. The mixing of a cross-linking catalyst directly with the printing liquid greatly simplified the process, minimizing the necessity of preprocessing the starting powder. Three-dimensional printing of a preceramic polymer not containing any inert or active fillers was proved to be a feasible, convenient and precise process for the production of porous ceramic possessing a complex, ordered structure, such as stretch-dominated lattices.
Porcelain Prototypes by LSD
(2014)
Selective laser sintering is a well-established technology for the additive manufacture of metallic and polymeric parts. For the additive manufacture of ceramic parts some examples for its successful application do exist, also. In this context, the selective laser sintering of SiC ceramic powders has been studied extensively in the past. Despite its low sintering activity, SiC is particularly suited for the selective laser sintering process, because of the possibility to form SiO2 at elevated temperatures in oxidizing ambient. The SiO2 formed can act as a binder within the laser sintering process.
In the present work densely packed powder beds generated by the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD) technology are selectively sintered by a cw. fiber laser. The layerwise slurry deposition is an innovative process for the deposition of layers in additive manufacturing. A slurry with no or very small organic content is repetitively spread as thin layers on each other by means of a doctor blade. During the deposition process, the ceramic particles settle to form thin layers of about 100 µm which have a high packing density (typical 55-60%). This high powder packing density is the result of a slip casting process: When a layer is deposited on a previously dried porous layer, the water is drawn into the pores by capillary forces. The LSD process therefore shares aspects of tape casting and slip casting. An additional benefit of the LSD technology is the free choice of the size of the ceramic particles used. Compared to the processing of dry flowable powders, especially small particles can be very well processed.
Leistungsstarke Verfahren zur additiven Fertigung wie der 3D Druck und das Selektive Lasersintern basieren auf dem Schichtauftrag eines fließfähigen Pulvers. Bei keramischen Pulvern ist eine gute Fließfähigkeit ab einer Partikelgröße von ca. 40 µm gegeben. Bei Pulvern mit zu feinen Partikeln sind die adhäsiven Kräfte zwischen den Partikeln vergleichbar groß wie die Kräfte, die durch die Gravitation auf die Partikel wirken, was einem gleichmäßigen Fließen des Pulvers und somit einem gleichmäßigen Schichtaufbau entgegensteht. Die Verwendung von feineren Pulvern hat jedoch Vorteile, wie z.B. eine bessere Sinteraktivität.
Neben der nötigen minimalen Partikelgröße besteht für keramische Werkstoffe ein wesentliches Problem der pulverbasierten Verfahren in der Tatsache, dass das Pulverbett, also das durch Schichtauftrag gestapelte Pulver, eine zu geringe Dichte besitzt. Dies bringt grundsätzlich zwei Nachteile mit sich: zum einen verhindert eine zu geringe Packungsdichte des Pulvers den Aufbau kompakter Grünkörper und letztlich deren Sinterung zu einer dichten Keramik, zum anderen wird im Aufbauprozess das Bauteil durch das Pulverbett nicht ausreichend gestützt. Beim Auftragen einer neuen Pulverschicht kann die bereits verfestigte Struktur im Pulverbett verschoben werden, was zu Defekten in der Struktur bis hin zum vollständigen Verlust der Struktur führt. Aus diesem Grunde ist neben dem Aufbau des zu fertigenden Bauteils u.U. der Aufbau von zusätzlich sogenannten Supportstrukturen gefordert. Diese Supportstrukturen verankern das Bauteil mit der Bauplattform und fixieren es somit im Koordinatensystem des Bauraums der Anlage. Das Entfernen der Supportstrukturen erfordert nach dem eigentlichen additiven Fertigungsprozess einen zusätzlichen Prozessschritt, der zeitaufwendig und kaum zu automatisieren ist, und daher einer autonomen Fertigung, wie sie durch die Additive Fertigung realisiert werden kann, entgegensteht.
Es werden unterschiedliche Strategien für die Stabilisierung des Pulverbetts und zur Erzielung einer hohen Packungsdichte der Partikel im Pulverbett aufgezeigt. Neben der Lagenweise SchlickerDeposition (LSD) werden Ergebnisse zur Gas Flow Assisted Powder Deposition vorgestellt.
The use of water based ceramic slurries as feedstock for the additive manufacture of ceramics has many advantages which are not fully exploit yet. In the layerwise slurry deposition (LSD) process a slurry with no or low organic content is repetitively spread as thin layers on each other by means of a doctor blade. During the deposition, the ceramic particles settle on the previously deposited and dried material to form thin layers with a high packing density (55-60%). The LSD therefore shares aspects both of tape casting and slip casting. The LSD differentiates from the classical powder-based AM layer deposition, which typically achieves with a flowable coarse grained powder a low packing density (35-50%) only, consequently hindering the ability of sintering ceramic parts to full density. The LSD is coupled with the principles of selective laser sintering (SLS) or binder jetting, to generate novel processes which take advantage of the possibility of achieving a highly dense powder-bed. Contrary to the LSD process, which requires drying of each individual layer, the direct interaction of ceramic slurries with intense laser radiation is a promising approach for the additive manufacture of ceramics, also. This presentation will provide a detailed discussion of the specific features of the slurry based processes, potentialities and issues connected to the layer deposition and describe the most recent developments in their application to technical ceramics.
The production of ceramic parts by an additive manufacturing process is still a challenging task. Especially in powder-based technologies, such as 3D printing or laser sintering, the feedstock material is commonly spread out as thin layers of a dry powder/granulate by a roller or a shaker system. As consequence the layers are characterized mostly by a low packing rate. On the other hand, from a ceramic processing viewpoint, appreciable densities can be achieved by the use of ceramic slurries. In this context, the so-called Layer-wise Slurry Deposition (LSD) process has been developed. An overview about the LSD process and latest advances in the development of this technology will be presented.
Vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures bears the risk of pulmonary cement embolism (3.5%–23%) caused by leakage of commonly applied acrylic polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement to spongious bone marrow or outside of the vertebrae. Ultraviscous cement and specific augmentation systems have been developed to reduce such adverse effects. Rapidly setting, resorbable, physiological calcium phosphate cement (CPC) may also represent a suitable alternative.
PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the intravertebral extrusion of CPC and PMMA cement in an ex vivo and in vivo study in sheep.
STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A prospective experimental animal study was carried out. METHODS: Defects (diameter 5 mm; 15 mm depth) were created by a ventrolateral percutane-ous approach in lumbar vertebrae of female Merino sheep (2–4 years) either ex vivo (n = 17) or in vivo (n = 6), and injected with: (1) CPC (L3); (2) CPC reinforced with 10% poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) fibers (L4); or (3) PMMA cement (L5; Kyphon HV-R). Controls were untouched (L1) or empty defects (L2). The effects of the cement injections were assessed in vivo by blood gas analysis and ex vivo by computed tomography (CT), micro-CT (voxel size: 67 µm), histology, and biomechanical testing.
This chapter discusses different approaches for the densification of rock salt powders via compaction and sintering, focusing on the use of powder qualities obtained by crunching and milling of the natural rock salt. The chapter also examines the effect of compaction pressure, time and temperature on sintering of rock salt. Natural rock salt samples were crushed and milled in a disc mill to obtain fine powders in an experiment. The hot stage microscope allowed observing the in-situ volumetric shrinkage to be determined during the sintering process by measuring the area of the sample's projection in an optical setup by a CCD camera. Images were collected at a rate of 40 frames per minute. After the application of high pressures, the obtained samples are translucent and show the formation of macroscopic crack. Powder compacts prepared by uniaxial pressing, at different maximum pressures, were annealed at a constant heating rate (10 K min-1) to different maximum temperatures. These experiments were performed in a conventional sintering furnace under ambient atmosphere.
Large animal models are highly recommended for meaningful preclinical studies, including the optimization of cement augmentation for vertebral body defects by vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty.
The aim of this study was to perform a systematic characterization of a strictly minimally invasive in vivo large animal model for lumbar ventrolateral vertebroplasty.
This is a prospective experimental animal study.
Lumbar defects (diameter 5 mm; depth approximately 14 mm) were created by a ventrolateral percutaneous approach in aged, osteopenic, female sheep (40 Merino sheep; 6–9 years; 68–110 kg). L1 remained untouched, L2 was left with an empty defect, and L3 carried a defect injected with a brushite-forming calcium phosphate cement (CPC). Trauma/functional impairment, surgical techniques (including drill sleeve and working canula with stop), reproducibility, bone defects, cement filling, and functional cement augmentation were documented by intraoperative incision-to-suture time and X-ray, postoperative trauma/impairment scores, and ex vivo osteodensitometry, microcomputed tomography (CT), histology, static/fluorescence histomorphometry, and biomechanical testing.
Minimally invasive vertebroplasty resulted in short operation times (28±2 minutes; mean±standard error of the mean) and X-ray exposure (1.59±0.12 minutes), very limited local trauma (score 0.00±0.00 at 24 hours), short postoperative recovery (2.95±0.29 hours), and rapid decrease of the postoperative impairment score to 0 (3.28±0.36 hours). Reproducible defect creation and cement filling were documented by intraoperative X-ray and ex vivo conventional/micro-CT. Vertebral cement augmentation and osteoconductivity of the CPC was verified by osteodensitometry (CPC>control), micro-CT (CPC>control and empty defect), histology/static histomorphometry (CPC>control and empty defect), fluorescence histomorphometry (CPC>control; all p<.05 for 3 and 9 months), and compressive strength measurements (CPC numerically higher than control; 102% for 3 months and 110% for 9 months).
This first-time systematic clinical assessment of a minimally invasive, ventrolateral, lumbar vertebroplasty model in aged, osteopenic sheep resulted in short operation times, rapid postoperative recovery, and high experimental reproducibility. This model represents an optimal basis for standardized evaluation of future studies on vertebral augmentation with resorbable and osteoconductive CPC.
BACKGROUND CONTEXT:
Bioresorbable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) may be suitable for vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. However, additional targeted de-
livery of osteoinductive bone morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) in the CPC may be required to counteract the augmented local bone catabolism and support complete bone regeneration.
PURPOSE:
This study aimed at testing an injectable, poly (l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming cement (CPC) containing low-dose bone morphogenetic Protein BMP-2 in a sheep lumbar osteopenia model.
STUDY DESIGN/ SETTING:
This is a prospective experimental animal study.
METHODS:
Bone defects (diameter 5 mm) were generated in aged, osteopenic female sheep and filled with fiber-reinforced CPC alone (L4; CPC+ fibers) or with CPC containing different dosages of BMP-2 (L5; CPC+ fibers + BMP-2; 1, 5, 100, and 500g BMP-2; n=5 or 6 each). The results were
compared with those of untouched controls (L1). Three and 9 months after the operation, structural and functional effects of the CPC (±BMP-2) were analyzed ex vivo by measuring
(1) bone Mineral density (BMD);
(2) bone structure, that is, bone volume/total volume (assessed by micro-computed tomography [micro-CT] and histomorphometry), trabecular thickness, and trabecular number;
(3) bone formation, that is, osteoid volume/bone volume, osteoid surface/bone surface, osteoid thickness, mineralizing surface/bone surface, mineral Apposition rate, and bone formation rate/bone surface;
(4) bone resorption, that is, eroded surface/bone surface; and
(5) compressive strength.
RESULTS:
Compared with untouched controls (L1), CPC+ fibers (L4) and/or CPC+ fibers + BMP-2(L5) significantly improved all parameters of bone formation, bone resorption, and bone structure.
These effects were observed at 3 and 9 months, but were less pronounced for some parameters at 9 months. Compared with CPC without BMP-2, additional significant effects of BMP-2 were demonstrated for bone structure (bone volume/total volume, trabecular thickness, trabecular number) and formation (osteoid surface/bone surface and mineralizing surface/bone surface), as well as for the compressive strength. The BMP-2 effects on bone Formation at 3 and 9 months were dose-dependent, with 5–100g as the optimal dosage.
CONCLUSIONS:
BMP-2 significantly enhanced the bone formation induced by a PLGA fiber-reinforced CPC in sheep lumbar osteopenia. A single local dose as low as ≤100g BMP-2 was sufficient
to augment middle to long-term bone formation. The novel CPC+ BMP-2 may thus represent an alternative to the bioinert, supraphysiologically stiff polymethylmethacrylate cement presently used to treat osteoporotic vertebral fractures by vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty.
BACKGROUND CONTEXT:
Biodegradable calcium phosphate cement (CPC) represents a promising option for the surgical treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Because of augmented local bone catabolism, however, additional targeted delivery of bone morphogenetic proteins with the CPC may be needed to promote rapid and complete bone regeneration.
PURPOSE:
In the present study, an injectable, poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming cement (CPC) containing the bone morphogenetic Protein GDF5 was tested in a sheep lumbar osteopenia model.
STUDY DESIGN/SETTING:
This is a prospective experimental animal study
METHODS:
Defined bone defects (diameter 5 mm) were placed in aged, osteopenic female sheep.
Defects were treated with fiber-reinforced CPC alone (L4; CPC+ fibers) or with CPC containing different dosages of GDF5 (L5; CPC+ fibers + GDF5; 1, 5, 100, and 500g GDF5; n =
5 or 6 each).
The results were compared with those of untouched controls (L1). Three and 9 months postoperation, structural and functional effects of the CPC (±GDF5) were assessed ex vivo by measuring
(1) bone mineral density (BMD);
(2) bone structure, that is, bone volume/total volume (assessed by micro-computed tomography and histomorphometry), trabecular thickness, and trabecular number;
(3) bone formation, that is, osteoid volume/bone volume, osteoid surface/bone surface, osteoid thickness, mineralized surface/bone surface, mineral apposition rate, and bone formation rate/bone surface;
(4) bone resorption, that is, eroded surface/bone surface; and
(5) compressive strength.
RESULTS:
Compared with untouched controls (L1), both CPC+ fibers (L4) and CPC+ fibers + GDF5 (L5) numerically or significantly improved all parameters of bone formation, bone resorption, and bone structure. These significant effects were observed both at 3 and 9 months, but for some parameters they were less pronounced at 9 months. Compared with CPC without GDF5, additional significant effects of CPC with GDF5 were demonstrated for BMD and parameters of bone formation and structure (bone volume/total volume, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number, as well as mineralized surface/bone surface). The GDF5 effects were dose-dependent (predominantly in the 5–100g range) at 3 and 9 months.
CONCLUSIONS:
GDF5 significantly enhanced the bone formation induced by a PLGA fiber-reinforced CPC in sheep lumbar osteopenia. The results indicated that a local dose as low as ≤100g
GDF5 may be sufficient to augment middle to long-term bone formation. The novel CPC+ GDF5 combination may thus qualify as an alternative to the bioinert, supraphysiologically stiff poly-(methyl methacrylate) cement currently applied for vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures.
BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Targeted delivery of osteoinductive bone morphogenetic Proteins (eg, GDF5) in bioresorbable calcium phosphate cement (CPC), potentially suitable for vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty of osteoporotic vertebral fractures, may be required to counteract augmented local bone catabolism and to support complete bone regeneration. The biologically optimized GDF5 Mutant BB-1 may represent an attractive drug candidate for this purpose.
PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to test an injectable, poly (l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming CPC containing low-dose BB-1 in a sheep lumbar osteopenia model.
STUDY DESIGN/ SETTING: This is a prospective experimental animal study.
METHODS: Bone defects (diameter 5 mm) were generated in aged, osteopenic female sheep and were filled with fiber-reinforced CPC alone (L4; CPC+fibers) or with CPC containing different dosages.
Advancements in the fields of biocompatible materials, manufacturing processes, computational methods and medicine have led to the emergence of a new field: micro-scale scaffolds for bone replacement and regeneration. Yet most such scaffolds produced today are characterized by very basic geometry, and their microstructure differs greatly from that of the actual tissue they are intended to replace. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for generating micro-scale scaffolds based on processing actual micro-CT images and then reconstructing a highly accurate geometrical model. This model is manufactured by means of a state-of-the-art 3D additive manufacturing process from biocompatible materials. At the micro-scale level, these scaffolds are very similar to the original tissue, thus interfacing better with the surrounding tissue and facilitating more efficient rehabilitation for the patient. Moreover, the approach facilitates the design and manufacture of patient-specific scaffolds which can copy patients exact structural and mechanical characteristics, taking into account their physical condition and medical history. By means of multi-resolution volumetric modeling methods, scaffold porosity can also be adapted according to specific mechanical requirements. The process of designing and manufacturing micro-scale scaffolds involves five major stages: (a) building a volumetric multi-resolution model from micro-CT images; (b) generation of surface geometric model in STL format; (c) additive manufacturing of the scaffold; (d) scaffold shape verification relative to the geometric design; and (e) verification of mechanical properties through finite element analysis. In this research, all the proposed stages of the approach were tested. The input included micro-CT scans of porous ceramic structure, which is quite similar to commercial porous scaffolds. The results show that the proposed method is feasible for design and manufacture of micro-scale scaffolds.
Porous Si3N4/SiC ceramics were rapidly prepared with Y2O3 as sintering additive and ZrO2 as nitrided catalyst, using Si and SiC as starting powders. Porous Si3N4/SiC ceramics with 5 wt% ZrO2 addition showed a complete nitridation and good mechanical properties (with a high porosity of 34.96%, flexural strength of 150±4.2 MPa, linear shrinkage of 0.02%). It was revealed that the reciprocal formation of ZrO2 and ZrN effectively enhanced nitridation by inhibiting the melting of silicon in micro-regions.
Most additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have in common that material is spread out as thin layers of a dried powder/granulate by a roller or a shaker system. These layers are mostly characterized by a low packing rate. On the other hand, appreciable densities can be reached by the use of ceramic slurries. In this context, the layer-wise slurry deposition (LSD) has been developed. Specific features of the LSD process are reflected on the basis of already existing additive manufacturing technologies. The microstructure of laser-sintered bodies will be discussed, and strategies for an improved microstructure during sintering will be introduced.
The Layerwise Slurry Deposition is a technology for the deposition of highly packed powder layers. A powder bed is achieved by depositing and drying layers of a ceramic suspension by means of a doctor blade. This deposition technique was combined with the binder jetting technology to develop a novel Additive Manufacturing technology, named LSD-print. The LSD-print was applied to a porcelain ceramic. It is shown that it was possible to produce parts with high definition, good surface finish and at the same time having physical and mechanical properties close to those of traditionally processed porcelain, e.g. by slip casting.
This technology shows high future potential for being integrated alongside traditional production of porce-lain, as it is easily scalable to large areas while maintaining a good definition. Both the Layerwise Slurry Deposition method and the binder jetting technologies are readily scalable to areas as large as > 1 m2.
A shape evolution approach based on the thermally activated self-organization of 3D printed parts into minimal surface area structures is presented. With this strategy, the present communication opposes currently established additive manufacturing strategies aiming to stipulate each individual volumetric element (voxel) of a part. Instead, a 3D structure is roughly defined in a 3D printing process, with all its advantages, and an externally triggered self-organization allows the formation of structural elements with a definition greatly exceeding the volumetric resolution of the printing process. For enabling the self-organization of printed objects by viscous flow of material, functionally graded structures are printed as rigid frame and melting filler. This approach uniquely combines the freedom in design, provided by 3D printing, with the mathematical formulation of minimal surface structures and the knowledge of the physical potentials governing self-organization, to overcome the paradigm which strictly orrelates the geometrical definition of 3D printed parts to the volumetric resolution of the printing process. Moreover, a transient liquid phase allows local programming of functionalities, such as the alignment of functional particles, by means of electric or magnetic fields.
Tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) can be used as bone graft, exhibiting suitable bioabsorption and osteoconduction properties. The presence of silica may induce the formation of a hydroxyapatite layer, enhancing the integration between implant and bone tissue. Preceramic polymers present silicon in their composition, being a source of SiO2 after thermal treatment. Using the versatility of 3D printing, b-TCP and a polysiloxane were combined to manufacture a bulkb-TCP with a silica coating. For the additive manufacturing process, PMMA powder was used as passive binder for the b-TCP particles, and polymethylsilsesquioxane (MK), dissolved in an organic solvent, was used both as a printing binder (ink) and as the source of SiO2 for the coating. Five distinct coating compositions were printed with increasing amounts of MK. The structures were then submitted to heat treatment at 1180 °C for 4 h. XRD and FTIR showed no chemical reaction between the calcium phosphate and silica. SEM allowed observation of a silicon-based ating on the structure surface. Mechanical strength of the sintered porous structures was within the range of that of trabecular bones.
Wollastonite (CaSiO 3 ) – diopside (CaMgSi 2 O 6 ) glass-ceramic scaffolds have been successfully fabricated using two different additive manufacturing techniques: powder-based 3D printing (3DP) and digital light processing (DLP), coupled with the sinter-crystallization of glass powders with two different compositions. The adopted manufacturing process depended on the balance between viscous flow sintering and crystallization of the glass particles, in turn in fluenced by the powder size and the sensitivity of CaO – MgO – SiO 2 glasses to surface nucleation. 3DP used coarser glass powders and was more appropriate for low temperature firing (800 – 900 °C), leading to samples with limited crystallization. On the contrary, DLP used finer glass powders, leading to highly crystallized glass-ceramic samples. Despite the differences in manufacturing technology and crystallization, all samples featured very good strength-to-density ratios, which bene fit theiruse for bone tissue engineering applications. The bioactivity of 3D-printed glass-ceramics after immersion in simulated body fluid and the similarities, in terms of ionic releases and hydroxyapatite formation with already validated bioactive glass-ceramics, were preliminarily assessed.
Biomaterials for bone replacement and grafting should possess sufficient strength, be bioresorbable and demonstrate osteoconductivity/osteoinductivity. Nowadays, hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are the most widespread ceramics for bone grafting at the market, however, their resorption is reported, in some cases, to be not enough. This is why the search for more soluble ceramics compared to HA and TCP looks rather viable.
A possible way to increase ceramics solubility leads to partial substitution of Ca2+-ions in Ca3(PO4)2 by alkali castions, like Na+ or/and K+. Improvement of solubility stems from decreasing lattice energy of a substituted phase, as well as increase in hydration energy of the ions releasing from the phase to ambient solution. From this viewpoint, bioceramics based on compositions from Ca3(PO4)2 - CaKPO4 - CaNaPO4 ternary system seems to be prospective for bone replacement and grafting in sense of resorption properties. At the same time, one should bear in mind that solubility level (resorbability) is governed not only by reduction of lattice energy, but also by microstructure features. Grain sizes and porosity contribute much to dissolution rate making study of sintering of aforementioned ceramics highly important.
Here we demonstrate that by applying exclusively Martian resources a processing route involving suspensions of mineral particles called slurries or slips can be established for manufacturing ceramics on Mars. We developed water-based slurries without the use of additives that had a 51 wt. % solid load resembling commercial porcelain slurries in respect to the particle size distribution and rheological properties. These slurries were used to slip cast discs, rings and vases that were sintered at temperatures between 1000 and 1130 °C using different sintering schedules, the latter were set-up according the results of hot-stage microscopic characterization. The microstructure, porosity and the mechanical properties were characterized by SEM, X-ray Computer tomography and Weibull analysis. Our wet processing of minerals yields ceramics with complex shapes that show similar mechanical properties to porcelain and could serve as a technology for future Mars colonization. The best quality parts with completely vitrificated matrix supporting a few idiomorphic crystals are obtained at 1130 °C with 10 h dwell time with volume and linear shrinkage as much as ~62% and ~17% and a characteristic compressive strength of 51 MPa.
Dense ZnO films with a strong c‐axis texture have been deposited on transparent conductive oxide glass, glass, and Si wafers, respectively, with a two‐step pressureless wet chemical method using zinc acetate dihydrate as Zn‐precursor. The crystallographic structure of the films has been studied with XRD and scanning electron microscopy. Optical measurements reveal a high transparency of the ZnO films with a thickness of up to 10 μm. This new cost‐effective route for ZnO film deposition does not require expensive sophisticated equipment and is easily upscaled.
Up to now, there exists a lack of methods for the additive manufacturing of voluminous ceramic parts with properties comparable to those of conventionally manufactured ones. A high density after sintering is needed to reach the superior properties of ceramic materials. We have developed a new additive manufacturing method, Laser-Induced Slip casting (LIS), to generate ceramic green bodies with high particle packing density and with virtually no restriction in the particle size of the feedstock, especially in terms of small particles. This is achieved by laser-induced local drying of slurries, with the process resembling many features of the well-established stereolithography, but without the excessive use of polymeric material. Thus, unlike the stereolithography process, the resulting green bodies can be processed like traditionally produced ceramic parts. This method allows large and dense additive-manufactured parts to be obtained from conventional water-based ceramic slurries. As an example, we will demonstrate the application of this novel technique with Si3N4.
Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) systems compromises their performance causing a significant power loss and demanding periodical cleaning actions. This phenomenon raises great concerns in the solar energy field, thus leading to notable research efforts over the last decades. Soiling is caused by a dual action of dust deposition and biofouling. However, surprisingly, the microbiological contribution to PV soiling is often overlooked or underestimated. In this study, a variety of qPCR-based methods have been developed to quantify the microbial load of fungi, bacteria and phototrophs on PV panels. These protocols were evaluated by comparison with culturedependent methods, and were implemented with real solar plants for two years. The results show that the developed molecular methods are highly sensitive and reliable to monitor the microbial component of the soiling. Fungal biomass was clearly dominant in all analysed PV modules, while bacteria and phototrophs showed much lower abundance. Light microscopy and qPCR results revealed that melanised microcolonial fungi and phototrophs are the main biofilm-forming microorganisms on the studied solar panels. In particular, the fungal qPCR protocol is proposed as a useful tool for monitoring of PV soiling, and investigating the microbial contribution to specific soiling cases.
Sand erosion of solar glass: Specific energy uptake, total transmittance, and module efficiency
(2018)
Surface roughness, R Z , normal transmittance, Τ N , total transmittance, Τ T , and photovoltaic (PV) module efficiency, η S , were measured for commercial solar glass plates and PV test modules identically sandblasted with different loads of quartz sand (200 – 400 μ m), impact inclination angles, and sand particle speed. Measured data are presented versus the specific energy uptake during sand blasting, E (J/m2). Cracks, adhering particles, and scratch ‐ like textures probably caused by plastic flow phenomena could be observed after sand blasting. Their characteristic size was much smaller than that of sand particles.
After blasting and subsequent cleaning, the glass surface was still covered with adhering glass particles. These particles, cracks, and scratch ‐ like textures could not be removed by cleaning. For sand blasting with α = 30° inclination angle and E = 30 000 J/m2, normal transmittance, total transmittance, and relative module efficiency decreased by 29%, 2% and ∽ 2%, respectively. This finding indicates that diffusive transmission of light substantially contributes to PV module efficiency and that the module efficiency decrease caused by sand erosion can be better estimated from total than by normal transmittance measurements.
Injectable, brushite-forming calcium phosphate cements (CPC) show potential for bone replacement, but they exhibit low mechanical strength. This study tested a CPC reinforced with poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) fibers in a minimally invasive, sheep lumbar vertebroplasty model.
The study aimed to test the in vivo biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of a PLGA fiber-reinforced, brushite-forming CPC in a sheep large animal model.
An improved method of powder 3D printing leading to dense ceramic parts is presented. The application of powder-based binder jetting 3D printing technologies to technical ceramics is generally limited by the low packing density of the powder and by the need to use a flowable powder. With layer-wise slurry deposition, it is, however, possible to deposit powder beds with high particle packing and furthermore using submicron powders. This method was combined with the binder jetting technology to develop a novel process, named LSD-print. By means of LSD-print, a submicron Al2O3 powder could be processed to produce samples with a density comparable with that of standard pressed samples, both in the green state and after sintering.
Particle size gradation is regarded as an effective method for overcoming the contradicting requirements in three-dimensional printing (3DP). In present work, particle size gradation was optimized to obtain both acceptable flowability of the powder material and high-strength 3D-printed glass-ceramic products. The effect of gradation on the printing process, sintering process and performance of the 3D-printed glass-ceramic products was investigated comprehensively. The glass-ceramic powders with three size ranges were mixed in certain proportions and applied to print parts. The result showed parts printed with powder mixed by 60 wt% 45–100 µm and 40 wt% 0–25 µm particles had satisfactory density of 1.60 g/cm³ and bending strength of 13.8 MPa. The flowability decreased with an increasing proportion of fine particles. Part density was determined by the powder bulk density in the powder bed as well as the shrinkage during sintering while strength of part was found to be dependent on the sintering degree.
The most successful additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are based on the layer-by-layer deposition of a flowable powder. Although considered as the third industrial revolution, one factor still limiting these processes to become completely autonomous is the often necessary build-up of support structures. Besides the prevention of lateral shifts of the part during the deposition of layers, the support assures quality and stability to the built process. The loose powder itself surrounding the built object, or so-called powder-bed, does not provide this sustenance in most existent technology available. Here we present a simple but effective and economical method for stabilizing the powder-bed, preventing distortions in the geometry with no need for support structures. This effect, achieved by applying an air flow through the powder-bed, is enabling an entirely autonomous generation of parts and is a major contribution to all powder-based additive manufacturing technologies. Moreover, it makes powder-based AM independent of gravitational forces, which will facilitate crafting items in space from a variety of powdery materials.
The production of agglomerate-free SiO2 particles exhibiting a monomodal distribution of particle sizes of around 300 nm by means of direct laser fuming of micrometric SiO2 powders has been successfully demonstrated. With a 12 kW cw CO2 laser system, a production rate of up to 1 kilogram powder per hour was achieved. Almost ideal spherical amorphous SiO2 particles in a broad particle size distribution between 10 nm and several 100 nm (d50 ≈ 300 nm) were synthesized. Several observations suggest weak agglomeration forces between the particles. A temperature reduction of 200 °C for sintering powder compacts was observed.
Gradient porous silicon nitride (Si3N4) was fabricated by a novel vacuum foaming and freeze drying process. Aqueous Si3N4 slurries were foamed at vacuum pressure of 50–90 kPa, the green body was obtained by the freeze drying process, a gradient pore structure with porosities of 72–90% was achieved after pressureless sintering at 1680 °C. The porosity was increased with decreasing vacuum pressure. The pore structure consists of large pores (~100 μm) on top, medium pores (~45 μm) on the wall of the large pores, and small pores (~0.7 μm) in the matrix. Such gradient porous Si3N4 with macro- and micro-pores has potential application as high temperature filters.
The infrared-optical properties and particularly the emissivity of sintered ceramics depend on the material's bulk properties and structural properties such as porosity, pore size distribution and pore diameter. The infrared-optical properties can be varied across a wide range by specifically selecting the material's bulk and structural properties. A major concern of the present study is the development of a ceramic coating material with a total emissivity below 0.2 at a temperature of 800 °C. For this purpose, various samples of a TiO2-Y2O3 (TY) ceramic composite were produced with different properties. On variation in the Y2O3 content from 5 to 60 wt%, the porosity of the ceramic composites varies from 3 % to 47 % with the mean pore diameter lying in a range from 0.3 µm to 1.7 µm. The addition of graphitic pore builders increases the porosity up to 60 % and the mean pore diameter to a maximum of 15 µm. By optimizing the total porosity and the pore size of the TY ceramics, a total emissivity as low as 0.17 at 800 °C could be achieved.
Highly porous (>60% open porosity) glass–ceramic scaffolds with remarkable mechanical properties (compression strength of ~15 MPa) were produced by indirect 3D printing. Precursor glass powders were printed into 3D ordered structures and then heat treated to sinter and develop crystalline phases. The final glass–ceramic contained a β-spodumene solid solution together with a secondary phase of lithium disilicate.
The precision of the printed geometry and the density of the struts in the scaffold depended on several processing parameters (e.g. powder size and flowability, layer thickness) and were improved by increasing the binder saturation and drying time. Two types of powders with different particle size distribution (PSD) and flowability were used. Powders with a larger PSD, could be processed within a wider range of printing parameters due to their good flowability; however, the printing precision and the struts density were lower compared to the scaffolds printed using the powder in a smaller average PSD.
Transparent microspheres with the eutectic composition 65 Al2O3-16 Y2O3-19 ZrO2 (mol%) have been produced by laser fusing with a CO2 laser. The influence of the starting material – not pre-calcined and pre-calcined – as well as the laser power on the resulting microspheres – was investigated. After fabrication, the microspheres were analyzed by means of XRD to quantify the amorphous content of the spheres as well as to identify the residual crystalline phases, with a laser granulometer to measure the particle sizes of the starting material and the resulting microspheres, with DSC to characterize the glass transition temperature and crystallization behavior, and with SEM to investigate the microstructure of the microspheres. The laser-treated materials consist of transparent and opaque beads as well as sintered particles. The amorphous amount in the samples was detected to be ~ 85 %. Based on these results transparent beads were collected and annealed over a range of temperatures to analyze the crystallization behavior.
Adapting trabecular structures for 3D printing: an image processing approach based on μCT data
(2017)
Materials with a trabecular structure notably Combine advantages such as lightweight, reasonable strength, and permeability for fl uids. This combination of advantages is especially interesting for tissue engineering in trauma surgery and orthopedics. Bone-substituting scaffolds for instance are designed with a trabecular structure in order to allow cell migration for bone ingrowth and vascularization. An emerging and recently very popular technology to produce such complex, porous structures is 3D printing. However, several technological aspects regarding the scaffold architecture, the printable resolution, and the feature size have to be considered when fabricating scaffolds for bone tissue replacement and regeneration. Here, we present a strategy to assess and prepare realistic trabecular structures for 3D printing using image analysis with the aim of preserving the structural elements. We discuss critical conditions of the printing system and present a 3-stage approach to adapt a trabecular structure from μ CT data while incorporating knowledge about the printing system. In the first stage, an image-based extraction of solid and void structures is performed, which results in voxel- and graph-based representations of the extracted structures. These representations not only allow us to quantify geometrical properties such as pore size or strut geometry and length. But, since the graph represents the geometry and the topology of the initial structure, it can be used in the second stage to modify and adjust feature size, volume and sample size in an easy and consistent way. In the final reconstruction stage, the graph is then converted into a voxel representation preserving the topology of the initial structure. This stage generates a model with respect to the printing conditions to ensure a stable and controlled voxel placement during the printing process.
Over the last decade there have been increasing efforts to develop three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for bone tissue Engineering from bioactive ceramics with 3D printing emerging as a promising technology. The overall objective of the present study was to generate a tissue engineered synthetic bone graft with homogenously distributed osteoblasts and mineralizing bone Matrix in vitro, thereby mimicking the advantageous properties of autogenous bone grafts and facilitating usage for reconstructing segmental discontinuity defects in vivo . To this end, 3D scaffolds were developed from a silica-containing calcium alkali orthophosphate, using, fi rst, a replica technique – the Schwartzwalder – Somers method – and, second, 3D printing, (i.e. rapid prototyping). The mechanical and physical scaffold properties and their potential to facilitate homogenous colonization by osteogenic cells and extracellular bone matrix formation throughout the porous scaffold architecture were examined.
Osteoblastic cells were dynamically cultured for 7 days on both scaffold types with two different concentrations of 1.5 and 3 × 10⁹ cells/l. The amount of cells and bone matrix formed and osteogenic marker expression were evaluated using hard tissue histology, immunohistochemical and histomorphometric analysis. 3D-printed scaffolds (RPS) exhibited more micropores, greater compressive strength and silica release. RPS seeded with 3 × 10⁹ cells/l displayed greatest cell and extracellular Matrix formation, mineralization and osteocalcin expression. In conclusion, RPS displayed superior mechanical and biological properties and facilitated generating a tissue engineered synthetic bone graft in vitro, which mimics the advantageous properties of autogenous bone grafts, by containing homogenously distributed terminally differentiated osteoblasts and mineralizing bone matrix and therefore is suitable for subsequent in vivo implantation for regenerating segmental discontinuity bone defects.
Capsule summary
THE MATERIALS
Manufacturers can use preceramic polymers to produce ceramic components in a range of compositions using a variety of additive manufacturing technologies. Preceramic polymers even can overcome some of the problems that are intrinsic to additive manufacturing in general.
THE APPLICATION
Modifying the composition, molecular architecture, and molecular weight of preceramic polymers allows adaptation of these materials to specific processing requirements of individual additive manufacturing technologies.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Further development of new additive manufacturing technologies, in addition to improvement of existing technologies, will enable manufacturing of advanced ceramic components with enhanced mechanical characteristics and new functional properties.
2014AbstractWollastonite/apatite glass-ceramics have been successfully prepared by a novel approach, consisting of the heat treatment of a silicone resinembedding micro-sized CaCO3particles, that act as reactive fillers, and bioactive glass powder in the SiO2–CaO–P2O5–K2O–Na2O–MgO–CaF2system. Zn-containing silicates, such as hardystonite (Ca2ZnSi2O7) and willemite (Zn2SiO4), were also developed either by directly mixing ZnOpowders with the glass, or by embedding them in the preceramic polymer, as additional fillers.
Porous Si3N4/SiC ceramics were prepared with Si and SiC as raw materials, Y2O3 as sintering additive and ZrO2 as nitrided catalyst through a rapid nitration process. The nitriding rate as a function of temperature and duration was investigated. The porous Si3N4/SiC ceramics with 8 wt% monoclinic ZrO2 addition that was nitrided at 1400 °C for 2 h exhibited the highest nitridation degree of 95%. The experimental results also demonstrated that the reciprocal formation of ZrO2 and ZrN can effectively enhance the level of nitridation by suppressing the melting of silicon in micro-regions. The effects of nitriding time on the mechanical properties of the specimens with ZrO2 as a catalyst was also studied. After nitrided at 1400 °C for various durations from 2 to 8 h, the porous Si3N4/SiC ceramics with the properties of a porosity over 39.8%, a flexural strength over 88.9 MPa and a linear shrinkage lower than 0.6% were achieved. The systematic investigation reveals the catalytic mechanism of ZrO2 in the synthesis of Si3N4/SiC ceramics.
Silicate bioceramics possess an excellent bioactivity; however, shaping them into complex geometries is still challenging. Therefore, this paper aims to present a new strategy for the shaping of a bioglass-ceramic with controlled geometry and properties starting from a glass powder combined with a preceramic polymer, i.e. a silicon resin, and reactive fillers. The powder-based three-dimensional (3D)-printing of wollastonite (CaSiO3)-based silicate bioceramic parts was demonstrated in this work. The resin plays a dual role, as it not only acts as a non-sacrificial binder for the filler powders in the printing process but it also reacts with the fillers to generate the desired bioceramic phases. The mechanical and physical properties, i.e. ball-on-three-balls test, density, porosity and morphology, were evaluated in 3D-printed discs. These samples possessed a total porosity around 64 vol% and a biaxial flexural strength around 6 MPa. The raw materials used in this work also enabled the 3D-printing of scaffolds possessing a designed multi-scale porosity, suitable bioceramic phase assemblage and a compressive strength of 1 MPa (for cylindrical scaffolds with total porosity ~80 vol%). Solubility in TRIS/HCl and in vitro assays, i.e. viability, cytotoxicity and apoptosis assays, were also performed. In vitro tests indicated good cell viability and no cytotoxicity effect on the cells.
Laser-fused K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) powder of 75% transparent fraction has been sintered by pressureless sintering, spark plasma sintering (SPS), and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The laser-fused KNN has a fictive temperature of 503 °C and an onset crystallization temperature of around 529 °C. The results have shown that sintering of the laser-fused KNN powder utilizing the viscous flow of the transparent microspheres (amorphous content)–at the kinetic window (26 °C)–is possible. The highest yield relative density is around 83% at a sintering temperature of 525 °C and at a sintering pressure of 280 MPa. Limited density has been reached because of formation of crystalline surface layers around the amorphous areas. The samples hipped at 525 °C have low piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 5 pC/N because of the residual porosity that led to early dielectric breakdown during the polarization. The sintering behavior, the resulting microstructure as well as the measured properties will be discussed.
Porous Al2O3 with high porosity (~45%), remarkable flexural strength (~70 MPa), and low dimensional change (~1–2%), was produced by indirect 3D printing and reaction bonding. Coarse Al with good flowability was carried out printing green body. The green body was heat treated to get fully oxidized, volume expansion during oxidation simultaneously formed strong neck bonding, not only brought good strength, but also restricted shrinkage. Porous Al2O3 with architecture of macro pores designed by 3D printing and micro pores in the strut formed by packing of particles was obtained. The near zero shrinkage can facilitate precise design of product with complex shape.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology which has the potential not only to change the way of conventional industrial manufacturing processes, adding material instead of subtracting, but also to create entirely new production and business strategies. Since about three decades, AM technologies have been used to fabricate prototypes or models mostly from polymeric or metallic materials. Recently, products have been introduced into the market that cannot be produced in another way than additively. Ceramic materials are, however, not easy to process by AM technologies, as their processing requirements (in terms of feedstock and/or sintering) are very challenging. On the other hand, it can be expected that AM technologies, once successful, will have an extraordinary impact on the industrial production of ceramic components and, moreover, will open for ceramics new uses and new markets.
Selective laser sintering of ceramic powders is a promising technique for the additive manufacturing of complex- and delicate-shaped ceramic parts. Most techniques have in common that the powder to be sintered is spread to a thin layer as a dry powder by means of a roller or shaker system. These layers have a relatively low density. On the other hand, appreciable densities can be reached with the use of ceramic slurries as the starting material. Therefore, the layer-wise slurry deposition (LSD) process has been developed. Layer stacks, i.e. powder beds, built up by employing the LSD technology exhibit a density comparable to ceramic powder compacts processed by means of conventional forming technologies. Writing the layer information with a focused laser beam in these dense ceramic powder compacts enables the manufacture of ceramic bodies with a high density and precision in contour.
Purpose – This paper aims to present an additive manufacturing-based approach in which a new strategy for a thermally activated local melting and material flow, which results in densification of printed structures, is introduced.
Design/methodology/approach – For enabling this self-organized relaxation of printed objects by the viscous flow of material, two interconnected structures are printed simultaneously in one printing process, namely, Structure A actually representing the three dimensional object to be built and Structure B acting as a material reservoir for infiltrating Structure A. In an additional process step, subsequent to the printing job, an increase in the objects’ temperature results in the melting of the material reservoir B and infiltration of structure A.
Findings – A thermally activated local melting of the polymethylsilsesquioxane results in densification of the printed structures and the local formation of structures with minimum surface area.
Originality/value – The present work introduces an approach for the local relaxation of printed three-dimensional structures by the viscous flow of the printed material, without the loss of structural integrity of the structure itself. This approach is not restricted only to the materials used, but also offers a more general strategy for printing dense structures with a surface finish far beyond the volumetric resolution of the 3D printing process.
Additive manufacturing of alkali-activated materials currently attracts a lot of attention, because of the possibility to produce customized high-performance elements for a range of applications, potentially being more resource-efficient than conventionally produced parts. Here, we describe a new additive manufacturing process for alkali-activated materials that is based on selective laser-heating of lithium aluminate/microsilica slurries. The new process-material combination allows to manufacture elements with complex geometries at high building rates and high accuracy. The process is versatile and transferrable to structures of sizes differing by orders of magnitude. The mechanical strength of the obtained materials was in the range of values reported for conventional metakaolin-based geopolymers, and superior to what has been hitherto reported for alkali-activated materials produced by additive manufacturing. This mechanical performance was obtained despite the fact that the degree of reaction of the lithium aluminate and the microsilica was low, suggesting that significant reactions took place only at the surface of the microsilica particles.
As humanity contemplates manned missions to Mars, strategies need to be developed for the design and operation of hospitable environments to safely work in space for years. The supply of spare parts for repair and replacement of lost equipment will be one key need, but in-space manufacturing remains the only option for a timely supply. With high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready-to-use components directly from a computeraided model, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies appear extremely attractive. For the manufacturing of metal parts, laser-beam melting is the most widely used AM process. However, the handling of metal powders in the absence of gravity is one prerequisite for its successful application in space. A gas flow throughout the powder bed is successfully applied to compensate for missing gravitational forces in microgravity experiments. This so-called gas-flow-assisted powder deposition is based on a porous Building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow driven by a pressure difference maintained by a vacuum pump.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is developing rapidly due to itsflexibility in producing complex geometries and tailored material compositions. However, AM processes are characterized by intrinsic limitations concerning their resolution and surface finish, which are related to the layer-by-layer stacking process. Herein, a self-organization process is promoted as an approach to improve surface quality and achieve optimization of 3D minimal surface lightweight structures. The self-organization is activated after the powder bed 3D printing process via local melting, thereby allowing surface tension-driven viscous flow.The surface roughness Ra (arithmetic average of the roughness profile) could bedecreased by a factor of 1000 and transparent lenses and complex gyroid structures could be produced for demonstration. The concept of self-organization is further elaborated by incorporating external magnetic fields to intentionally manipulate magnetic particles, which are mixed with the polymer before printing and self-organization. This concept can be applied to develop programmable materials with specific microtextures responding to the external physical conditions.
The possibility of creating patient-specific individual implants makes Additive Manufacturing technologies of special interest for the medical sector. For substitution of bone defects, powder based Additive Manufacturing by Binder Jetting is a suitable method to produce complex scaffold-like structures made of bioceramics with easily adapted geometries and controlled porosity. The process inherent residual porosity in the printed part, even though desired as it supports bone ingrowth, also leads to limited mechanical strength. Currently, bioceramic scaffolds made by Binder Jetting feature suitable biocompatible and biodegradable properties, while a sufficient mechanical stability is rather challenging. The purpose of this work is to apply the gas flow assisted powder deposition introduced in 2014 by Zocca et al., to the powder bed during printing of bioceramic tablets and scaffolds using α-TCP powder as feedstock. This enables exploiting the advantages of an increased powder bed density, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the printed parts.
A new approach for fabrication of ceramic components with inner channels is proposed, as a result of the combination of two additive and one subtractive manufacturing processes. In this project, porcelain parts are manufactured by the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD) process, meanwhile end milling and Direct Ink Writing (DIW) are applied to create channels on the surface of the deposited ceramic. Unique to the LSD process is the Formation of a freestanding powder bed with a mechanical strength comparable to conventional slip casted ceramic green bodies. Combining these three processes allows the manufacturing of ceramic objects containing an internal path of ink, which in this case was a graphite-based ink that can be further eliminated by heat treatment to obtain a porcelain object embedded with channels. The results show the capabilities of this method and its potential to fabricate not only parts with inner channels, but also multi-material and multi-functional components (such as integrated electronic circuits).
Future lunar exploration can benefit greatly from In-Situ Resource Utilization. Accordingly, the in-Situ Resource Utilization approach highlights the need for detailed analysis of lunar regolith. In this study, JSC-2A Simulant was studied regarding its sintering and melting behaviour using Differential Thermal Analysis under ambient and inert conditions. The minerals at the crystalline peaks were determined using X-Ray Diffraction analysis.
Moreover, melting droplet shape and wetting behaviour of pressed regolith samples of different particle size distributions were studied by Hot Stage Microscopy technique. Hot Stage Microscopy experiments were performed at different heating rates under ambient conditions. Bloating effects within the solidified samples were then qualitatively examined by X-ray tomography. Lastly, the optimization of processing strategies for the Additive Manufacturing of lunar regolith is discussed.
The wet processing of regolith simulant for clay in situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Mars is presented. The two raw materials from the Mars global simulant family, one without clay (MGS-1) and one with clay - sodium montmorillonite smectite - (MGS-1C) were milled and mixed to produce a simulant with small particle size and reduced clay content (MGS-1C/8). All three simulants and the pure clay raw material were extensively characterized using XRF, synchrotron XRD, gas adsorption and gas pycnometry methods. In a straightforward processing approach, MGS-1C/8 was mixed with water and different dispersant approaches were investigated, all of which gave stable slurries. Particle size distribution, rheology, ion concentration, pH and electrical conductivity of these slurries were characterized. The slurry systems can easily be adapted to fit all typical ceramic shaping routes and here parts of varying complexity from slip casting, throwing on a potter's wheel and additive manufacturing, including material extrusion (robocasting) and binder jetting (powder bed 3D printing) were produced.
The unique properties of the sodium montmorillonite clay, which is readily accessible in conjunction with magnesium sulfate on the Martian surface, acted as a natural nanosized binder and produced high strength green bodies (unfired ceramic body) with compressive strength from 3.3 to 7.5 MPa. The most elaborate additive manufacturing technique layerwise slurry deposition (LSD) produced water-resistant green bodies with a compressive strength of 30.8 ± 2.5 MPa by employing a polymeric binder, which is similar or higher than the strength of standard concrete. The unfired green bodies show sufficient strength to be used for remote Habitat building on Mars using additive manufacturing without humans being present.
This paper investigates fast and inexpensive measurement methods for defect detection in parts produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM) with special focus on lattice parts made of ceramics. By Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing, parts were built both without defects and with typical defects intentionally introduced. These defects were investigated and confirmed by industrial X-ray Computed Tomography. Alternative inexpensive methods were applied afterwards on the parts such as weighing, volume determination by Archimedes method and gas permeability measurement. The results showed, that defects resulting in around 20% of change in volume and mass could be separated from parts free of defects by determination of mass or volume. Minor defects were not detectable as they were in the range of process-related fluctuations. Permeability measurement did not allow to safely identify parts with defects. The measurement methods investigated can be easily integrated in AM process chains to support quality control.
The effect of particle grain sizes in different cement-based mixtures on the laser-induced plasma evolution is studied using two experimental methods: (i) temporal and spatial evolution of the laser-induced shock wave is investigated using shadowgraphy and two-dimensional plasma imaging, and (ii) temporal and spatial distribution of elements in the plasma is investigated using two-dimensional spectral imaging. This study is motivated by the interest in applying laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for chemical analysis of concrete, and subsequently obtain information related to damage assessment of structures like bridges and parking decks. The distribution of grain sizes is of major interest in civil engineering as for making concrete different aggregate grain sizes defined by a sieving curve (64mm to 0.125 mm) are needed. Aggregates up to a size of 180 μm can be excluded from the data set, therefore only the amount of small aggregates with a grain size below 180 μm must be considered with LIBS. All components of the concrete with a grain size smaller than 0.125mm are related to the flour grain content. Tested samples consisted of dry and hardened cement paste (water-cement ratio w/z=0.5), which served as a reference. Aggregate mixtures were made by adding flour grains (size 40 μm) and silica fume (size 0.1 μm) in different ratios to cement: 10%, 30%, 50% and 60%, all combined to the remaining percentage of dry or hydrated cement. The visualization results show that a dependance in the evolution of the plasma as a function of sample grain size can be detected only in the initial stages of the plasma formation, that is, at the initial 3 μs of the plasma life. Spectral information reveals the elemental distribution of the silicon and calcium in plasma, in both neutral and ionized form. Here also, a significant effect is observed in the first 1 μs of the plasma lifetime.
Bioactive glass ceramics have excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity; and can form direct chemical bonds with human bones; thus, these ceramic are considered as “Smart” materials. In this study, we develop a new type of bioactive glass ceramic (AP40mod) as a scaffold containing Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and Mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to repair critical-sized bone defects in rabbit mandibles. For in vitro experiments:
AP40mod was prepared by Dgital light processing (DLP) system and the optimal ratio of EPCs/BMSCs was screened by analyzing cell proliferation and ALP activity, as well as the influence of genes related to osteogenesis and angiogenesis by direct inoculation into scaffolds. The scaffold showed suitable mechanical properties, with a Bending strength 52.7 MPa and a good biological activity. Additionally, when EPCs/BMSCs ratio were combined at a ratio of 2:1 with AP40mod, the ALP activity, osteogenesis and angiogenesis were significantly increased. For in vivo experiments: application of AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs (after 7 days of in vitro spin culture) to repair and reconstruct critical-sized mandible defect in rabbit showed that all scaffolds were successfully accurately implanted into the defect area. As revealed by macroscopically and CT at the end of 9 months, defects in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group were nearly completely covered by normal bone and the degradation rate was 29.9% compared to 20.1% in the AP40mod group by the 3D reconstruction. As revealed by HE and Masson staining analyses, newly formed blood vessels, bone marrow and collagen maturity were significantly increased in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group compared to those in the AP40mod group. We directly inoculated cells on the novel material to screen for the best inoculation ratio. It is concluded that the AP40mod combination of EPCs/BMSCs is a promising approach for repairing and reconstructing large load bearing bone defect.
Frass (fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects) of larvae of the European house borer (EHB) and of drywood termites was tested as a natural and novel feedstock for 3D-printing of wood-based materials. Small particles produced by the drywood termite Incisitermes marginipennis and the EHB Hylotrupes bajulus during feeding in construction timber, were used. Frass is a powdery material of particularly consistent quality that is essentially biologically processed wood mixed with debris of wood and faeces. The filigree-like particles flow easily permitting the build-up of woodbased structures in a layer wise fashion using the Binder Jetting printing process. The Quality of powders produced by different insect species was compared along with the processing steps and properties of the printed parts. Drywood termite frass with a Hausner Ratio HR = 1.1 with ρBulk = 0.67 g/cm3 and ρTap = 0.74 g/cm3 was perfectly suited to deposition of uniformly packed layers in 3D printing. We suggest that a variety of naturally available feedstocks could be used in environmentally responsible approaches to scientific material sciences/additive manufacturing.
Calcium alkali metal (potassium and sodium) double and triple phosphates have been synthesized in different ways. Was for the first time used reaction sintering to produce ceramics based on calcium alkali metal mixed phosphates and investigated the densification behavior of mixed phosphate-based multiphase materials during sintering by this method. Was presented the microstructure of polished surfaces of sintered samples differing in phase composition and determined the density of ceramics prepared using reaction mixtures differing in composition. The effect of reaction sintering on the porosity of the ceramics has been assessed. Using stereolithographic printing and reaction sintering, was produced macroporous mixed Calcium phosphate-based ceramic implants. Their compressive strength has been determined to be 0.78 ± 0.21 MPa for two-phase samples and 1.02 ± 0.13 MPa for three-phase samples.
Methods and materials are presented here, which enable the manufacturing of fine structures using a 3D-printing method known as two-photon polymerization (2PP). As traditional photolithography methods for structuring ceramic slurries do not function with 2PP, due to light scattering on ceramic particles, a novel water-based photoresist with high ceramic loading of extremely well dispersed ceramic nano particles was developed. This photoresist is basically a ceramic slurry containing a photocurable agent and a photoinitiator to be crosslinkable with the 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser light source of the 2PP machine. It is demonstrated that it is possible to gain a highly transparent and low viscous slurry suitable for 2PP processing. This work shows the development of the slurry, first printing results and the post-printing processes required to form three dimensional ceramic microstructures consisting of alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ).
This study suggests a tool for a better control on the sintering/crystallization of 3D-printed bioactive glassceramics bodies. A small cantilever in form of a bar with square cross section attached to a base and inclined 34◦ with the horizon, was used to monitor the viscous flow and sintering/crystallization headway of a glassceramic systems. 3D printing and sintering of bioactive glass-ceramics is of great interest for medical care applications.
Viscous flow ensures sufficient densification of the typically low density printed green bodies, while crystallization prevents the structure from collapsing under the gravitational load. As a model system, a bioactive glass called BP1 (48.4 SiO2, 1 B2O3, 2 P2O5, 36.6 CaO, 6.6 K2O, 5.6 Na2O (mol%)), which has a chemical composition based on that of ICIE16, was employed in this work. In addition, ICIE16 was used as a reference glass. The results show that the suggested design is a very promising tool to track the real-time deformation of 3D printed glass-ceramic specimens and gives a good indication for the onset of crystallization as well.
In additive manufacturing the powder bed based processes binder jetting and powder bed fusion are increasingly used also for the production of ceramics. Final part properties depend to a high percentage on the powder bed density. Therefore, the aim is to use the best combination of powder deposition method and powder which leads to a high packing of the particles. The influence of flowability, powder properties and deposition process on the powder bed density is discussed and the different deposition processes including slurry-based ones are reviewed.
It turns out that powder bed density reached by slurry-based layer deposition exceeds conventional powder deposition, however, layer drying and depowdering are extra steps or more time-consuming for the slurry route.
Depending on the material properties needed the most suitable process for the part has to be selected.
The flow behavior of powders has an essential role in many industrial processes, including powder bed additive manufacturing. The characterization of the flow behavior is challenging, as different methods are available, and their suitability for an application in additive manufacturing is still controversial. In this study, six standardized methods (measurement of bulk density by ISO 60 and by ASTM B329, angle of repose by ISO 4324, discharge time by ISO 6186 and by ASTM B964-16, and Hausner Ratio by ASTM 7481 – 18), the rotating drum method (by GranuDrum) and powder rheometry (Anton Paar powder cell), were applied to five size fractions of a crushed quartz sand powder and compared. A statistical approach is proposed and discussed to correlate the obtained flowability indexes with the packing density of powder beds deposited layer-by-layer, and these correlations are compared between methods. Overall, the measurement of bulk density by ASTM B329 that showed the best correlation with the powder bed density. Advanced methods such as the rotating drum method and powder rheometry did not demonstrate particularly good correlations, however they provided complementary information which can be useful to assess the dynamic behavior of powders.
Within the perspective of increasing reliability of AM processes, real-time monitoring allows part inspection while it is built and simultaneous defect detection. Further developments of real-time monitoring can also bring to self-regulating process controls. Key points to reach such a goal are the extensive research and knowledge of correlations between sensor signals and their causes in the process.
Additive manufacturing of SiSiC by layerwise slurry deposition and binder jetting (LSD-print)
(2019)
The current work presents for the first time results on the Additive Manufacturing of SiSiC complex parts based on the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD) process. This technology allows to deposit highly packed powder layers by spreading a ceramic slurry and drying. The capillary forces acting during the process are responsible for the dense powder packing and the good joining between layers. The LSD process can be combined with binder jetting to print 2D cross-sections of an object in each successive layer, thus forming a 3D part. This process is named LSD-print.
By LSD-print and silicon infiltration, SiSiC parts with complex geometries and features down to 1mm and an aspect ratio up to 4:1 could be demonstrated.
The density and morphology were investigated for a large number of samples. Furthermore, the density and the mechanical properties, measured by ball-on-three-balls method, were in all three building directions close to isostatic pressed references.
An investigation of the two-component phase diagram of the CaNaPO4- CaKPO4system performed using various analysis techniques is reported. The continuous solid solution series of α-CaMPO4 existing above 700 °C undergoes eutectoid decomposition during cooling to β-CaMPO4-based solid solutions enriched with Na and K, and to an intermediate nonstoichiometric compound with an ideal composition of CaK0.6Na0.4PO4. All three compounds exhibit significant volumetric effects associated with first-order phase transitions, with positive volume changes under cooling for the intermediate compound. Increased K content in ceramics based on CaKyNa1-yPO4 compositions enhances the strength properties of those ceramics, including their fracture toughness, which is associated with increased density. Increased K content also has a smaller effect of inducing phase transformations accompanied by strong volume changes.
Many of the most successful and precise additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are based on the deposition layer-by-layer of a flowable powder. Since the first pioneering work at the end of the 1980th many developments have been introduced, greatly extending the use of different materials, improving the physical properties of the components built and enhancing the accuracy of the process. Still very important issues remain nowadays, hampering a completely autonomous production of parts and even restricting the freedom of design by means of these technologies. One of the major issues is the low density and stability of the parts during the building process, which implies the need of support structures: The powder bed surrounding the part has an essential role, since it should support the structure during building, until it’s ready for removal. Moreover, the microstructure of the powder bed is a template for the microstructure of the part produced. In this context, the use of submicron ceramic powders is still a challenge. Three approaches for the stabilization and densification of powder beds will be presented: The Layerwise Slurry Deposition process LSD, the gas flow assisted powder deposition and the Laser Induced Slipcasting (LIS) of ceramic powder compacts.
Are we ready for putting a human footprint on Mars? Obviously, it is possible to send technologically challenging missions to our earth neighbors with a high level of complexity, such as enabling autonomous planetary mobility. As humanity contemplates mounting manned missions to Mars, strategies need to be developed for the design and operation of hospitable environments safely working in space for years. Humans require water and air provided by complicated equipment. Its safe operation is a great challenge and implies being prepared for all eventualities. Instead of foreseeing and preparing for all possible scenarios of machine failures and accidents, it appears logic taking advantage of the flexibility of humans and providing essential equipment for the reaction on critical situations. The supply of spare parts for repair and replacement of lost equipment would be one key pillar of such a strategy. Bearing in mind the absolute distance and flight trajectories for manned missions to Mars, supplying spare parts from Earth is impossible. Thus, in space manufacturing remains the only option for a timely supply. With a high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready to use components directly from a computer aided model, additive manufacturing technologies appear extremely attractive. For metal parts manufacturing the Laser Beam Melting process is the most widely used additive manufacturing process in industrial application. However, envisioning the handling of metal powders in the absence of gravitation is one prerequisite for its successful application in space. A gas flow throughout the powder bed has been successfully applied to compensate for missing gravitational forces in micro gravity experiments. The so-called Gas Flow Assisted Powder Deposition is based on a porous building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow driven by a pressure difference maintained by a vacuum pump.
Are we ready for putting a human footprint on Mars? Obviously, it is possible to send technologically challenging missions to our earth neighbors with a high level of complexity, such as enabling autonomous planetary mobility. As humanity contemplates mounting manned missions to Mars, strategies need to be developed for the design and operation of hospitable environments safely working in space for years. Humans require water and air provided by complicated equipment. Its safe operation is a great challenge and implies being prepared for all eventualities. Instead of foreseeing and preparing for all possible scenarios of machine failures and accidents, it appears logic taking advantage of the flexibility of humans and providing essential equipment for the reaction on critical situations. The supply of spare parts for repair and replacement of lost equipment would be one key pillar of such a strategy. Bearing in mind the absolute distance and flight trajectories for manned missions to Mars, supplying spare parts from Earth is impossible. Thus, in space manufacturing remains the only option for a timely supply. With a high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready to use components directly from a computer aided model, additive manufacturing technologies appear extremely attractive. For metal parts manufacturing the Laser Beam Melting process is the most widely used additive manufacturing process in industrial application. However, envisioning the handling of metal powders in the absence of gravitation is one prerequisite for its successful application in space. A gas flow throughout the powder bed has been successfully applied to compensate for missing gravitational forces in micro gravity experiments. The so-called Gas Flow Assisted Powder Deposition is based on a porous building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow driven by a pressure difference maintained by a vacuum pump.