18678315. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF POLYMER CERAMICS simplified abstract (Board of Regents, The University of Texas System)

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF POLYMER CERAMICS

Organization Name

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System

Inventor(s)

Majid Minary-jolandan of Dallas TX (US)

Mohammadreza Mahmoudi of Dallas TX (US)

Scott R. Burlison of Fredericksburg TX (US)

Chao Wang of Plano TX (US)

Salvador Moreno of Dallas TX (US)

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF POLYMER CERAMICS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18678315 titled 'ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF POLYMER CERAMICS

The patent application describes a scalable 3D printing process for ceramics using a preceramic polymer dispensed into a gel that can switch between fluid and solid states, allowing for high-speed production of complex ceramic parts.

• The process involves dispensing a preceramic polymer at the tip of a moving nozzle into a gel that can switch between fluid and solid states.
• The gel, containing mineral oil and silica nanoparticles, converts to fluid at the nozzle tip to allow polymer dispensing, then quickly returns to a solid state to maintain geometry during printing and cross-linking.
• The entire printed part is thermally cross-linked "at once" inside the gel, then retrieved and converted to ceramic through high-temperature pyrolysis.
• This innovative process enables low-cost, high-speed production of complex 3D ceramic parts for applications in high-temperature and corrosive environments, such as electronics, sensors, MEMS, energy, and structural components.

Potential Applications: - Electronics and sensors - Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) - Energy applications - Structural components

Problems Solved: - High-cost and slow production of complex ceramic parts - Limited scalability in ceramic 3D printing processes - Maintaining geometry during printing and high-temperature cross-linking

Benefits: - Low-cost production of complex ceramic parts - High-speed printing process - Suitable for high-temperature and corrosive environments - Scalable for industrial applications

Commercial Applications: - Industrial manufacturing of ceramic components - Aerospace and defense industries - Automotive applications - Medical device manufacturing

Questions about Scalable 3D Printing of Ceramics: 1. How does the gel used in this process switch between fluid and solid states? 2. What are the key advantages of using preceramic polymers in ceramic 3D printing processes?

Original Abstract Submitted

Scalable 3D-printing of ceramics includes dispensing a preceramic polymer at the tip of a moving nozzle into a gel that can reversibly switch between fluid and solid states, and subsequently thermally cross-linking the entire printed part “at-once” while still inside the same gel. The solid gel, including mineral oil and silica nanoparticles, converts to fluid at the tip of the moving nozzle, allows the polymer solution to be dispensed, and quickly returns to a solid state to maintain the geometry of the printed polymer both during printing and the subsequent high temperature (160° C.) cross-linking. The cross-linked part is retrieved from the gel and converted to ceramic by high temperature pyrolysis. This scalable process opens new opportunities for low-cost, high-speed production of complex 3-dimensional ceramic parts, and will be widely used for high temperature and corrosive environment applications, including electronics and sensors, microelectromechanical systems, energy, and structural applications.