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Volumetric Additive Manufacturing of SiOC by Xolography
Kai Huang1, Giorgia Franchin1, Paolo Colombo1,2
1Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Marzolo, 9. Interno 4, Padova, 35131, Italy.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 10, 2024
Summary
This study introduces xolography, a volumetric additive manufacturing (AM) technique, for creating crack-free silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic components. This advanced AM method overcomes limitations of traditional layer-by-layer processes, enabling complex ceramic structures with high precision.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Ceramic Engineering
Background:
- Conventional ceramic processing faces limitations in achieving complex geometries and defect-free structures.
- Traditional additive manufacturing (AM) techniques for ceramics suffer from defects like the staircase effect due to their layer-by-layer nature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel volumetric AM method, xolography, for fabricating silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramics.
- To address challenges in AM of ceramics, including defects, shape distortion, and low ceramic yield.
- To enable the efficient production of complex, high-quality ceramic structures at the µm/mm scale.
Main Methods:
- Utilized xolography, a linear volumetric AM process, for SiOC ceramic fabrication from a preceramic polymer.
- Optimized the formulation by balancing preceramic polymer content and transmittance.
- Incorporated a pore generator to facilitate gas release during decomposition, preventing cracks.
- Adjusted formulation to prevent part sinking and shape distortion during printing.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated crack-free solid and porous SiOC ceramic structures.
- Achieved high surface quality and sharp features on complex geometries.
- Demonstrated the ability to produce parts with high geometric variety efficiently.
- Overcame the staircase effect inherent in other vat photopolymerization techniques.
Conclusions:
- Xolography offers a viable and efficient method for additive manufacturing of ceramics with superior surface quality and geometric freedom.
- The developed technique addresses key challenges in ceramic AM, paving the way for advanced applications.
- This method is suitable for producing micro-scale ceramic components for micromechanical and microelectronic systems.
