Efficient Mixing Design for a Ceramic and Acrylate-Based Binder Mixture for Vat Photopolymerization

Vat photopolymerization is an additive manufacturing process known for producing intricate and detailed components. This process utilizes slurries composed of various constituents that must be mixed as homogeneously as possible to ensure the fine dispersion and distribution of ceramic particles in the binder.
The homogeneity of the slurry, focusing on the size of the particle clusters and their distribution, along with its rheological properties such as viscosity and oscillatory behavior, are critical factors in achieving high-quality prints. To shorten the multi-step process chain, this study investigates the impact of the speed profile, mixing and pause time, milling beads, and the use of a three-roll mill on the mixing behavior of an aluminum ceramic slurry in a planetary centrifugal mixer. The objective is to optimize these parameters to achieve a homogeneous slurry system in the shortest time, enhancing overall process efficiency. The suitability of the mixing parameters has been transferred to different ceramic materials to enable further applications in multi-material additive manufacturing.