Investigations on the Processing of Ceramic Filled Inks for 3D InkJet Printing

3D inkjet printing is moving from a technology of rapid prototyping to rapid
manufacturing. The introduction of ultraviolet curable composites filled with functional ceramics
could expand the possibilities of this technology. In this work, a simple and scalable process was
investigated as a template for the production of inkjet printable functional ceramics. Pyrogenic
alumina particles with an average size of 13 nm, 35 nm and 100 nm were used as fillers in an acrylate
mixture. The physical coating of the ceramics with 2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy] acetic acid results
in a low‐viscosity dispersion with a ceramic content of up to 2 vol%, Newtonian behavior and
surface tension within the limits allowed for inkjet printing. The material has sufficient stability for
printing tensile specimens. Tensile tests have shown that modulus of elasticity, tensile strength and
toughness can be kept constant despite the light scatter caused by the particles. The final production
steps could be reduced to grinding and drying of the powders, their resuspension in the organic
matrix and inkjet printing. The process can be used in an industrial‐