Extrusion-based 3D printing alumina-silica inks: Adjusting rheology and sinterability incorporating waste derived nanoparticles

The nanoparticle (NP) exhibits numerous distinctive and extraordinary properties than micron level and up. The inclusion of NP effects in the rheological and densification behavior of extrusion-based (direct ink writing (DIW)) inks has been extensively investigated. The aqueous-based alumina-silica inks were first designed using waste rice husk ash (RHA) derived nano-silica (NS) (0–10 wt%) and found that the solid-to-liquid ratio reduces continuously with NS addition for printable rheology. For functionalization of NS, dispersant requirement is increased that improve the solids loading of inks. Second, the optimized inks are printed via DIW technique and sintered at a temperature of 1400–1650 °C. The NS has remarkably enhanced the shrinkage, density, and morphology of sintered DIW specimens and 7.5 wt% RHA NS reduces the sintering temperature ～150 °C. Incorporating NP in the 3D printing ink is a clean approach to filling pores generated by binder-burnout and fabricating a dense ceramic at a low temperature.