Preparation of Ceramic Inks for Solid Freeforming Using a Continuous Jet Printer

This work forms part of an investigation of a novel method of manufacturing ceramics by solid freeform fabrication. Submicron titania and zirconia powders were dispersed in alcohol with additions of dispersant, resin and electrolyte and were used as ceramic inks for deposition from a continuous jet printer with a nozzle diameter of 60 m. This allows a three-dimensional component to be built up, with the microstructure and shape defined by a computer program. This paper describes the formulation, mixing, and filtration of ceramic inks for the continuous printer. It shows that the presence of agglomerated particles in the ink results in a large number of stray drops, with a consequent loss of resolution. The best print quality was obtained by preparing the ink on a twin roll mill to produce a mill base followed by dilution under an ultrasonic probe.