3353 Development of a Dynamic Mask Stereolithography Apparatus using Curable Slurry for Fabricating High Strength Alumina Ceramic Parts
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This paper reports a novel solvent-based slurry process which can fabricate high strength ceramic parts. High performance solvent-based slurry, which was composed of alumina powder as a structure material, visible light curable resin as an organic binder and methanol as a solvent and a dispersant, could be prepared with colloidal processing. During layer curing, liquid in the slurry penetrated into pores of the subjacent layers. After drying, the binder in the penetrated liquid could connect the fresh layer and subjacent layers. Eventually, a rigid green block could be built layer by layer. In the exposed region, the resin contained in the green block was cured to connect the alumina powders to be a part of the green part. However, the un-exposed region remained methanol-soluble. Afterward, the green block was immersed in a methanol solution. Due to dissolving of the resin, the un-exposed region could completely collapse to obtain the green part. The green part was then heated up to 600℃ for binder burnout, and then sintered at 1600℃ to obtain a dense alumina ceramic part. An average flexural strength of 363.5 MPa and a relative density of 98% were achieved.
