Fabrication inner channel ceramics using layer additive method

This paper presents a layer additive method, ceramic laser curing, to form a ceramic part with inner channel features, by which silica powder is bonded by curing effect under disposal of a 20W CO2 laser. This process includes four steps: making slurry by mixing a binder with ceramic powder, paving the slurry on the surface of a platform, scanning the paved slurry layer via laser beam, removing the un-cured slurries from the solidified ceramic component. This process needed only low laser power to build ceramic parts by using "curing effect". The deflection and shrinkage of ceramics could be decreased, also the distortion due to post sintering process was avoidable. The inner channel structures were support by ceramic slurries to avoid the sagged deflection and to maintain the dimensional accuracy. The maximum flexural strength of the cured specimen was 4.7 MPa. This process has potential to fabricate inner complex ceramic components for industrial applications.