Direct selective laser sintering and melting of ceramics : a review

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a review on the process of additive manufacturing of ceramic materials, focusing on partial and full melting of ceramic powder by a high-energy laser beam without the use of binders. Design/methodology/approach: Selective laser sintering or melting (SLS/SLM) te...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sing, Swee Leong, Yeong, Wai Yee, Wiria, Florencia Edith, Tay, Bee Yen, Zhao, Ziqiang, Zhao, Lin, Tian, Zhiling, Yang, Shoufeng
Other Authors: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/87559
http://hdl.handle.net/10220/44483
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Description
Summary:Purpose: This paper aims to provide a review on the process of additive manufacturing of ceramic materials, focusing on partial and full melting of ceramic powder by a high-energy laser beam without the use of binders. Design/methodology/approach: Selective laser sintering or melting (SLS/SLM) techniques are first introduced, followed by analysis of results from silica (SiO2), zirconia (ZrO2) and ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites processed by direct laser sintering and melting. Findings: At the current state of technology, it is still a challenge to fabricate dense ceramic components directly using SLS/SLM. Critical challenges encountered during direct laser melting of ceramic will be discussed, including deposition of ceramic powder layer, interaction between laser and powder particles, dynamic melting and consolidation mechanism of the process and the presence of residual stresses in ceramics processed via SLS/SLM. Originality/value: Despite the challenges, SLS/SLM still has the potential in fabrication of ceramics. Additional research is needed to understand and establish the optimal interaction between the laser beam and ceramic powder bed for full density part fabrication. Looking into the future, other melting-based techniques for ceramic and composites are presented, along with their potential applications.