Improvement of mechanical properties of ceramic green body and fired body by aging of inorganic binder in ceramic slurry for 3D printing

Fabrication of ceramic bodies with complex structures via photopolymerization-based 3D printing with minimal deformation during the inevitable heat treatment necessitates the development of a photopolymerizable ceramic slurry. This study prepared a photocurable slurry using a photocurable resin and particles coated with an inorganic binder. The condensation efficiency of the inorganic binder was improved by applying an aging process to the green bodies, which in turn improved the fracture strength and enhanced the glass conversion efficiency of the particles during the subsequent firing process. The exceptional mechanical properties of the fired bodies fabricated using inorganic binder-coated starting particles can be attributed to the glass matrix formed between the particles rather than the particle-to-particle interfaces. We believe this study demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating ceramic bodies with minimal shrinkage and distortion compared to conventionally sintered bodies.