Unmet Need:
Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a technology that has gained significant traction in the past decade because of its ability to produce parts with complex geometries that are not attainable using traditional manufacturing. Recent advances in 3D printing have focused on the introduction of new, advanced materials such as refractory ceramics. Ultra-high temperature metal carbide ceramics in particular are optimal structural materials for applications that require resiliency to extreme temperatures (>2000°C), oxidation, corrosion, and wear (e.g. titanium carbide, TiC). The AM of these materials has not been fully realized due to the incompatibility of their properties with current AM techniques. Due to their numerous applications in aerospace, energy generation, and tooling, there is a growing need for new 3D printing techniques for next-generation refractory ceramic components.
Technology Overview
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a two-step process for the additive manufacturing of carbide ceramics, including UHTCs. The first step involves selective laser sintering of a ceramic precursor, followed by post-processing in reactive gas to convert the green part into a carbide final product. The system is reaction synthesis based and can be readily adapted to the workflows of existing commercially available 3D Printers. It has achieved sub-millimeter precision and produced high-quality standalone ceramic parts that are not otherwise producible using existing techniques.
Stage of Development
The system has been tested and future work is planned for refinement and optimization.
