Ceramic Feedstock Composition for Cleanly Removable 3D-Printed Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ceramic filaments for 3D printing exhibit low stability, leading to breakage and warping during debinding and sintering processes, and the removal of support structures is not clean or easy, limiting the thickness and complexity of 3D-printed metal objects.
Innovation Solution
A ceramic feedstock comprising 5-15% ceramic material and 80-94% polyoxymethylene (POM) binder, which provides improved stability and allows for clean removal of support structures during debinding and sintering, using a filament suitable for 3D printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high amounts of inorganic powder are used in the filament mixture, then the ceramic material content is improved, but the filament becomes very brittle and difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite binder system comprising polyoxymethylene (POM) as the primary binder and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a secondary binder. This composite binder composition allows for higher ceramic powder content (up to 90 wt%) while maintaining filament flexibility and handling properties. The POM provides structural integrity and binding strength, while the PEG acts as a plasticizer and lubricant, preventing brittleness even at high ceramic loadings.
2Ease of manufacture
If ceramic feedstock is used for 3D printing support structures, then the support structures can be removed during debinding, but the removal process is not clean or easy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a specific binder composition ratio and ceramic particle size distribution that enables controlled debinding behavior. The polyoxymethylene binder decomposes at a specific temperature range during the debinding process, allowing support structures to be cleanly removed without leaving residues. The optimized ceramic-to-binder ratio ensures that the support structures maintain integrity during printing but decompose cleanly during post-processing.
3Productivity
If existing ceramic filaments are used for 3D printing, then printing can be performed, but the printed objects exhibit warping and breakage during debinding and sintering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a bimodal ceramic particle size distribution with fine particles (0.5-5 μm) and coarse particles (5-50 μm) in specific proportions. The fine particles fill voids between coarse particles, creating a denser packing structure that reduces warping during sintering. The optimized local composition within the filament ensures uniform shrinkage and stress distribution during debinding and sintering, preventing breakage while maintaining printing capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ceramic feedstock enhances the stability of 3D-printed objects, reduces warpage, and facilitates easy removal of support structures, enabling more complex and thicker metal objects to be printed with reduced distortion and breakage.
Implementation Method 1
The binder composition usually comprises a thermoplastic material... the at least one binder (B) comprises 80 to 94% by volume, preferably 86 to 91% by volume, based on the total volume of the ceramic feedstock, of at least one polymer (P), in particular polyoxymethylene (POM)
Implementation Method 2
the thermoplastic material is heated to a temperature past its melting and/or glass transition temperature. The thermoplastic material and the temperature gradient are selected in order enable its solidification essentially immediately upon contacting the base or a preceding layer
Implementation Method 3
To receive the desired metallic or ceramic object, the binder has to be removed to form a so called 'brown body' and finally the object has to be sintered
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a ceramic feedstock comprising the components a), b) and optionally c), wherein component a) is at least one ceramic material, component b) is at least one binder (B) and optional component c) is at least one additive (A). The ceramic feedstock is preferably provided in form of a filament to be employed in three- dimensional (3D) printing techniques, particularly in a FFF printing process. The inventive ceramic feedstock can, therefore, be successfully employed for the 3D printing of support structures and/or separation layers. Further, the invention also relates to three-dimensional objects as such, in particular three-dimensional green bodies, three-dimensional brown bodies or three-dimensional sintered bodies as well as to a process for the preparation thereof.