3D printing porous ceramic materials

Promovendus/a: Elif Persembe

Promotor(en): Prof. dr. ir. Rob Ameloot, De heer Cesar Alejandro Parra Cabrera

3D printing is changing how we design and manufacture materials. This thesis explores how 3D printing can be used to create porous ceramics, carefully designed void spaces within the structure. Such structures are important for medical implants, filters, catalysts for chemical reactions, and even energy devices. In this work, new printing methods were developed and tested:

• A custom-built 3D printer that allows precise control of droplet size and layer thickness.

• Methods to make ceramic foams with complex shapes using sacrificial templates.

• High-resolution ceramic printing to create pores of different sizes and patterns.

• A feasibility study showing that 3D-printed ceramics can be used inside chemical reactors, improving efficiency.

The results show that 3D printing makes it possible to design ceramic materials with pores at different scales, tailored for specific applications. This opens the door to faster prototyping, cost-efficient production, and customized components in healthcare, energy, and industry.