Additive Manufacturing of Glass-Ceramic Parts from Recycled Glass Using a Novel Selective Powder Deposition Process

Additive manufacturing technologies have been in continuous growth due to their advantages over traditional manufacturing. The iro3d is a powder deposition machine designed to build metal parts. This research work proposed the adaptation of the iro3d selective powder deposition process to allow the production of glass-ceramic parts using recycled glass powders. Various specimens were produced using different deposition strategies such as build orientation and sintering holding times. Specimens were evaluated in terms of geometric distortions (shrinking and warping) and in terms of mechanical performance (flexural behavior and hardness). Two geometrically complex test parts were also produced to infer the minimum feature size capabilities of the process. The results denoted parts that displayed significant geometrical deviations, which could be correlated with some of the tested parameters. Through the addition of sand to the tested specimens, we demonstrated that distortions could be mitigated with proper control of the powder’s coalescence. In the end, the specimens’ fracture surfaces were examined, and the presence of porosities was correlated with their mechanical properties. The results demonstrated that the iro3d SPD process could be used to produce additively manufactured glass parts.