Dynamic Characteristics of Drop-substrate Interactions in Direct Ceramic Ink-jet Printing using High Speed Imaging System
Abstract
Solid freeform fabrication has the potential to construct ceramic parts, directly from computer aided design (CAD) data, without a mould or a die by the addition of material. Direct ceramic ink-jet printing is one of the techniques used in freeform fabrication. Ceramic tiles used in space vehicles can be produced by this method wherein a porous ceramic substrate (Al2O3/SiC) can be filled with a ceramic ink and processed subsequently. The success of this process depends on the systematic preparation of ceramic inks and the deposition of the ceramic ink on the substrate. In this paper, photographic studies were made on the characteristics of ceramic ink droplets when these are deposited on a porous ceramic substrate from a burette under gravity. For this investigation, ceramic inks were prepared using different amounts (0.253.0 vol. %) of an organic dispersant (oleic acid) added to a ceramic composition containing different amounts: (a) (7.5 17.5 vol. %) of alumina and (b) (7.515.0 vol. %) of zirconia with ethyl alcohol as a carrier. From this study, the drop formation, sedimentation in the drop, spread of drop on the substrate, splashing of drop impinging a previous ceramic ink layer on the substrate, and merging of droplets after deposition, are observed. This method is useful for manufacturing of parts with ceramic fibres filled with ceramic particles and this study can provide inner details on the behaviour of ink drops.
Defence Science Journal, 2009, 59(6), pp.675-682, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.59.1575
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