Dispersion and properties of zirconia suspensions for stereolithography

Stereolithography is an attractive technique for the fabrication of complex-shaped ceramic components with high dimensional accuracy. One of the challenges in this technology is the development of high solid loading, low viscosity photosensitive ceramic suspension. In this study, the dispersion of zirconia in photocurable resin and the slurry properties were intensively investigated. Rheological measurements showed that DISPERBYK-103 proved to be an effective dispersant. 42 vol% ZrO2 suspension was successfully prepared using 3.5 wt% DISPERBYK-103 as the dispersant, with a suitable viscosity (4.88 Pa center dot s) below the maximum allowable viscosity value (5 Pa center dot s) for stereolithography applications. The adsorption behavior of DISPERBYK-103 on the surface of zirconia powders was characterized by TG and FT-IR, confirming the dispersion effect of dispersant. Contact angle measurements were also conducted to show that the adsorption of DISPERBYK-103 could help to improve the wettability between powder and photocurable resin. Results showed that DISPERBYK-103 was effective for the preparation of suitable slurries for the development of ZrO2 ceramics through stereolithography.