An Investigation on Ceramics-Based Additive Manufacturing: Processes, Properties and Applications

This chapter explores the current state of ceramics-based additive manufacturing (ceramic AM), detailing the primary techniques, material characteristics, and diverse applications. It highlights the advantages and challenges associated with ceramic AM and provides insights into future research directions and industrial potential. The advantages of AM for ceramic production are credited to a significant decrease in material waste, unlimited geometric reproducibility, decrease in defects, including microcracks in the parts, lower production costs, reduced production postponement, and the possibility of custom-made parts. The concept of layer-wise slurry deposition (LSD) can be considered as a basis for AM of ceramics. Among processes and materials, VAT Photo Polymerization with over 80% and zirconia (66%); are the most common processes and raw materials in additive manufacturing of ceramics. Atomic and near-atomic scale additive manufacturing of ceramics is poised to revolutionize how we design and fabricate high-performance ceramic materials. Although still largely in the research phase, continued development promises transformative advances in fields requiring atomic precision and extreme performance. Atomic and near-atomic scale additive manufacturing of ceramics represents a cutting-edge approach to fabricating ceramic materials with unprecedented precision and control. This technique involves the deposition of individual atoms or small clusters of atoms to build ceramic structures layer by layer, enabling the creation of complex geometries and tailored properties at the nanoscale. By manipulating matter at such a fundamental level, researchers can engineer ceramics with enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electrical characteristics. This method often employs advanced technologies such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to achieve the required level of precision. The ability to construct ceramics atom by atom opens up new possibilities for applications in electronics, energy storage, and biomedical devices, where material performance is critical at the smallest scales. However, challenges remain in scaling up these processes for industrial production while maintaining the high level of precision and control achieved in laboratory settings.