Effect of Powder Particle Size on the Properties of Diamond Composites Fabricated by Digital Light Processing 3D Printing

Based on the principle of digital light processing (DLP)3D printing technology, the rheological properties and curing characteristics of diamond-resin slurries with various diamond particle sizes were systematically investigated, as well as the mechanical properties of the diamond-resin composites prepared by DLP. The results show that increasing the particle size can reduce the specific surface area and surface energy, effectively reduce the viscosity of the diamond-resin slurry and improve the fluidity of the slurry during the DLP printing process. Combined with the Beer-Lambert model equation, it was found that, under the same exposure energy, slurry with larger diamond particle size possess a higher cure depth, which is beneficial to the interlayer bonding strength of the composites made therefrom. However, the excess cure width also increases with the particle sizes, leading to a decrease in printing accuracy. Results from the mechanical performance test of the diamond-resin composite indicate that increasing the particle size improves the shore hardness of the composite little, whereas it is beneficial to improve the flexural strength and elastic modulus of the composite. In this work, diamond-resin composites with different particle sizes of diamond powder were prepared via DLP 3D printing technology, providing an experimental reference for the fabrication of ultraviolet-curable resin-bonded diamond tools by stereolithography 3D printing in the future. © 2023 Cailiao Daobaoshe/ Materials Review. All rights reserved.