Enhanced comprehensive properties of stereolithography 3D printed alumina ceramic cores with high porosities by a powder gradation design

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2022.04.040

Abstract

Abstract:

Ceramic cores with complex structures and optimized properties are critical for hollow turbine blades applied in aeroengines. Compared to traditional methods, additive manufacturing (AM) presents great advantages in forming complex ceramic cores, but how to balance the porosity and strength is an enormous challenge. In this work, alumina ceramic cores with high porosity, moderate strength, and low high-temperature deflection were prepared using stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing by a novel powder gradation design strategy. The contradiction between porosity and flexural strength is well adjusted when the mass ratio of the coarse, medium, and fine particles is 2:1:1 and the sintering temperature is 1600 °C. The fracture mode of coarse particles in sintered SLA 3D printing ceramic transforms from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture with the increase of sintering temperature and the proportion of fine powders in powder system. The sintered porosity has a greater influence on the high-temperature deflection of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores than grain size. On this basis, a "non-skeleton" microstructure model of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores is created to explain the relationship between the sintering process and properties. As a result, high porosity (36.4%), appropriate strength (50.1 MPa), and low high-temperature deflection (2.27 mm) were achieved by optimizing particle size gradation and sintering process, which provides an insight into the important enhancement of the comprehensive properties of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores.

Key words: Ceramic cores, Stereolithography (SLA), Powder gradation design, Sintering temperature, Comprehensive properties

Xiang Li, Haijun Su, Dong Dong, Di Zhao, Yuan Liu, Zhonglin Shen, Hao Jiang, Yinuo Guo, Haifang Liu, Guangrao Fan, Wenchao Yang, Taiwen Huang, Jun Zhang, Lin Liu, Hengzhi Fu. Enhanced comprehensive properties of stereolithography 3D printed alumina ceramic cores with high porosities by a powder gradation design[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2022, 131: 264-275.

Figures/Tables 17

Table 1. The main process parameters of the SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores.

Sample	Sintering temperature (°C)	Powders mass ratio			Fixed parameters
Sample	Sintering temperature (°C)	Coarse	Medium	Fine	Fixed parameters
A	1450	2	1	1	Scan speed: 2500 mm/s; Cured depth: 200 μm; Layer thickness: 50 μm.
A1	1550	2	1	1
A2	1600	2	1	1
B	1450	1	1	1
B1	1550	1	1	1
B2	1600	1	1	1
C	1450	1	2	1
C1	1550	1	2	1
C2	1600	1	2	1
D	1450	1	1	2
D1	1550	1	1	2
D2	1600	1	1	2

Fig. 1. The heating process of the green bodies prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a) TG-DSC; (b) debinding curve; (c) sintering curve.

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores: (a) sintered sample for testing linear shrinkage, open porosity, and flexural strength; (b) sintered sample for high-temperature deflection test; (c) core model for the hollow blade of a turbine engine; (d) sintered ceramic core prepared by SLA 3D printing.

Fig. 3. Schematic diagram of the high-temperature deflection test of sintered SLA 3D -printing alumina ceramic cores with double fulcrum cantilever.

Fig. 4. The effect of particle size gradation proportions on linear shrinkage in X, Y, and Z directions of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores sintered at different temperatures: (a) 1450 °C; (b) 1550 °C; (c) 1600 °C.

Fig. 5. The effect of sintering temperature on linear shrinkage in X, Y, and Z directions of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores using different particle size gradation proportions: (a) sample A of 2:1:1; (b) sample B of 1:1:1; (c) sample C of 1:2:1; (d) sample D of 1:1:2.

Fig. 6. The layer microstructure of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores after sintering (a) and statistics of single-layer shrinkage (b).

Fig. 7. Relationships of open porosity (a), water absorption (b), and relative density (c) with sintering temperature and particle size gradation proportions in sintered alumina ceramic cores by SLA 3D printing.

Fig. 8. Three sources of porosity in SLA 3D printed ceramic cores: (a) interlayer spacing; (b) irregular powder distribution; (c) bridge connection.

Fig. 9. The microstructures of larger grains in sintered ceramic cores prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a) bonding with fine powders; (b) change of surface morphology.

Fig. 10. The microstructures of small grains in sintered ceramic cores prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a) the sintering neck of sample A at 1450 °C; (b) the sintering neck of sample D at 1450 °C; the grain growth formation of sample D sintering at 1550 °C (c) and 1600 °C (d), respectively.

Fig. 11. Crack propagation during the fracture process of sintered ceramic cores prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a) the crack originates from the surface; (b) the deflections of crack and intergranular fracture of coarse particles.

Fig. 12. Fracture microstructures of larger grains in the sintered ceramic cores prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a-d), (a1-d1), (a2-d2) the sintering temperatures of ceramic cores at 1450 °C, 1550 °C and 1600 °C, respectively; (a-a2), (b-b2), (c-c2), (d-d2) sintered ceramic core samples A, B, C, and D, respectively.

Fig. 13. Fracture microstructures of small grains in the sintered ceramic cores prepared by SLA 3D printing: (a-d), (a1-d1), (a2-d2) the sintering temperatures of ceramic cores at 1450 °C, 1550 °C, and 1600 °C, respectively; (a-a2), (b-b2), (c-c2), (d-d2) sintered ceramic core samples A, B, C, and D, respectively.

Fig. 14. The "non-skeleton" microstructure model of the alumina ceramic core fabricated by SLA 3D printing

Fig. 15. The flexural strength of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores with different sintering temperatures and particle size gradation proportions.

Fig. 16. The effect of sintering temperature on the high-temperature deflection of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores with different particle size gradation proportions.

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