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Exploring Materials In 3D Printing: Metals, Ceramics, And Polymers

Aug 16, 2024

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Exploring Materials In 3D Printing: Metals, Ceramics, And Polymers

In this article, we have curated material types and mapped them to possible applications of direct part manufacturing in 3D printing around metals, ceramics, and polymers.

3D printing (also called Additive Printing) is changing the way objects are created, from tools and molds to very complex parts used in airplanes or for medical purposes.

In large part, the quality of 3D printed products depends on the materials used—they determine what properties and potential uses a product will have. These are the materials covered in this post, and we will discuss their specifics: metals, ceramics, and polymers (or plastics, as most people refer to them), showing how good one material is with its properties, application advantages, and disadvantages.

3D Printing Materials Overview

It has greatly broadened the range of materials that are possible to be 3D printed, opening up a new tier of applications and opportunities. These kinds include metals, ceramics, polymers, etc. All have individual properties and benefits, making them generally applicable to specific uses.

Metals

Metals 3D printing has gained significant attention due to its ability to produce components with high-strength, impact resistance, or thermal-resistant components from the printer. These can be divided into families, such as aluminum alloys, cobalt-based alloys, nickel-based alloys, stainless steel, and titanium alloys.

Key Properties
Strength and Durability: Metals generally have mechanical strength and are able to support high stresses and temperatures.

Corrosion Resistance: Metals, particularly titanium and nickel alloys, are especially suitable for use in aggressive environments since they exhibit very good resistance to corrosion.

Complex Geometry: It is possible to create complex geometries through metal 3D printing that cannot be attained by traditional techniques.

Applications

Aerospace: Metal 3D printing produces lightweight, strong parts that can withstand very high temperatures and pressures. For instance, nickel-based alloys find application in jet engines because they have high resistance to heat and strength (Shahrubudin et al. 2019).

Medical: Titanium alloys are used in the production of medical implants and prosthetics because they are biocompatible and strong (Shahrubudin et al. 2019).
Automotive: Metal 3D printing is used to produce high-performance parts that require precision and strength (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Advantages
Higher Strength: Requires less material hence lightweight (benefits SUP, Mobility products) or is part specific like Aluminum brake used in digital film cameras / Gyro mount on Rx 1800); better formability due to hotness at room temperature.

Design Flexibility: It enables the creation of complex designs without additional tooling.
Less Material Waste: Additive manufacturing produces less material waste compared to the subtractive method.
Customization: The additive process supports the fabrication of parts customized to meet specific requirements.

Limitation
Cost: The process of metal 3D printing can be very expensive based on material rates and other apparatus.
Speed: Mass production with this process is slower than with conventional methods of manufacture.

Ceramics

Ceramic materials are a material class characterized by their high strength, heat resistance, and electric insulation. In 3D printing, ceramics are used in the Stereolithography and Selective Laser Sintering processes.

Key Properties
Temperature Resistant: Ceramic has heat-resistant features that allow it to be used for high-temperature applications. Ceramics are commonly used in electrical insulating applications as they have promoted excellent insulation properties that allow them to be applied for electronic purposes (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Suitability for Medical Use: Ceramics are mostly used in the biomedical field because they have high biocompatibility with tissues.

Applications

Aerospace: Components that demand high thermal resistance (e.g., heat shields and engine parts) (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Medical Devices: Ceramics are biocompatible and possess high strength, thus being materials of interest for dental implants or as bone scaffolds (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Electronics: Applied in the manufacture of insulation parts and substrates for electronic components (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Advantages

High Performance: Ceramics have high mechanical and thermal performance.

Versatility: Utilization in a broad spectrum of applications, ranging from medical to industrial (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Durability: Durable due to their high strength, and ability to resist different types of stresses (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Limitation

Brittle: Ceramics are brittle in nature and easily crack under stress (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).
Processing Difficulty: The production process is very intricate and requires precise control (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).

Polymers

Polymers are the most regularly applied materials through 3D printing, especially in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA) techniques. This makes these materials versatile and easy to use.

Key Properties

Flexibility: Polymers can take a wide variety of forms, from flexible to rigid, depending upon the specific type and formulation.

Lightweight: They are lighter in weight almost by definition, often making them suitable for applications where the use of metals or ceramics would have been too much based on density alone. (Wevolver, 2024).

Chemical Resistance: Most polymers are resistant to chemicals and solvents, further giving them durability(Wevolver, 2024).

Applications

Prototyping: Polymers are commonly used in prototyping applications and modeling because of their low cost and ease of handling (Wevolver, 2024).

Consumer Goods: Used in the manufacture of everything from toys to household items (Wevolver, 2024).

Medical: Polymers are being developed for in vivo use, as well as medical models and devices, including orthotic devices and scaffold replacements (Wevolver, 2024).

Advantages

Cost-Effective: Polymers are usually cheaper than both metals and ceramics.

Ease of Processing: Easily processed and printed in a range of 3D printing processes (Wevolver, 2024).

Wide Range of Materials: Ranges from PLA, ABS, and PETG, among others, each offering different properties and benefits (Wevolver, 2024).

Limitations

Lower Strength: In general, the strength of polymer materials is lower, with lower performance when compared to metals or ceramics (Wevolver, 2024).
Temperature Sensitivity: Some polymers will "slump" or start to show the first signs of deformation at high temperatures (Wevolver, 2024).

Conclusion

3D printing is all about the materials. For example, metals provide strength and heat-resistant properties, ceramics offer durability and insulation characteristics, while polymers deliver versatility as well as cost-effectiveness. Although all of the different types work well with each other, they offer a unique set of attributes that may make them most appropriate for an application within any given industrial discipline. As new materials are developed in the future, 3D printing technology will continue to grow and mature more than ever before, empowering endless solutions and enabling wider usage.

References

Shahrubudin, N., Lee, T.C. & Ramlan, R. (2019). An Overview on 3D Printing Technology: Technological, Materials, and Applications. Procedia Manufacturing, 35, 1286–1296.
Wevolver. (2024). The Ultimate Guide to Materials Used in 3D Printing. [Online] Available at: https://www.wevolver.com/article/20240408-the-ultimate-guide-to-materials-used-in-3d-printing [Accessed 2 Aug. 2024].