Three-dimensional printing of lean clay ceramics

Tan, Seng Wah (2022) Three-dimensional printing of lean clay ceramics. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology in which the material is laid down layer by layer to form a three-dimensional object. There are various materials which can be employed in this technology such as thermoplastic, metal, and clay. In the past decades, various research has been carried out on the 3D printing of polymers and metallic materials; however, the research on clay ceramic is still limited. In this research, lean clay is used as the raw material for the 3D printing using Direct Ink Writing (DIW) technique. The main aim of this project is to investigate the relationship between the clay type with different moisture content, the rheological properties, and the optimal printing criterion. Herein, the lean clays were prepared with moisture content ranging from 30% to 47%. The rheological properties of the clays were studied using a rheometer. The relationships between the moisture content, rheological behaviour, and print parameters were evaluated. The effect of different water content of the lean clay on its printability through different nozzle sizes was also investigated. Various printing tests have been carried out to access the optimal printing criterion. From the results of the rheology test, it can be deduced that the viscosity of the clay decreases as the shear rate increases regardless of the moisture content. Besides, the storage modulus and yield stress of the clay samples increase as the water content decreases. Moreover, it was discovered that frequency possesses minimal effect on the storage modulus of the clay samples. On the other hand, the results of printing tests denote that moisture content ranging from 40% to 47% produces the clay suspensions that are printable. Moreover, it was also discovered that clogging is deemed to have occurred for the nozzle diameter below 1.20 mm (16G). Ultimately, this project has demonstrated the feasibility of lean clay as the raw material of ceramic printing.

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