3d Printing Ceramics Test Methods Alex Morley

Preliminary Analysis: Test Methods for Page 1 of 7
Characterization of Material Properties in 3D-

Printed Ceramics
Alexander Morley
August 1st, 2021
A. Attachments
A- ASTM C177 – 13
B- Measurement Techniques for Thermal Conductivity
C- Four Point Fully Articulating Test Fixture Dwg
D- Design and Fabrication of a Thermal Conductivity Test Apparatus
E- Ceramic Material Datasheet
B. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this study is to analyze the test methods for characterizing material properties of 3D printed
ceramics. 3D printing of ceramics is ubiquitous in niche industries where both rapid design iteration and thermal
resistance are paramount. The ability to rapidly iterate is an implicit advantage of the 3D-printing technology itself,
which also offers relatively low overhead and lead time. Although, due to the low (linear) cost savings offered by high
volume production, 3D printing advantages diminish while other manufacturing methods can offer a cheaper price per
part and more consistent manufacturing.
The scope of this preliminary analysis focuses on Formlabs ceramic material (Attachment E), but the test methods
are applicable to most comparable ceramic materials as the testing methods are ASTM standards intended for standard
ceramics. Two test methods will be analyzed to characterize the following two material properties:
1. Flexural Strength
2. Thermal Conductivity
C. Test Samples - Manufacturing Considerations
Planar Homogeneity
Special consideration must be taken for the grain structure developed during 3D printing. Although 3D shapes
can be created, SLA does not offer “true” 3D printing. That is, printing does not transverse the X, Y, and Z planes
simultaneously. Rather, a layer or a thin cross section (50 to 100 microns) of the shape is printed in 2D before advancing
in the third direction by another 50 – 100 microns where the next layer will be printed. This is repeated until the entire
3D shape is created. This results in a heterogeneous grain structure, with the most notable nonuniformity in the Z
direction. Thus, tests should be conducted with the samples orientated in each direction.
Sample Conditioning
Care should be taken to prevent warping or twisting of the samples during heat treatment process. Samples
should be printed in the following size for each respective test:
Test method 1: 3 x 4 x 50 mm
Test method 2: 1 inch diameter disk
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Preliminary Analysis: Test Methods for Characterization of Material Properties in 3D-Printed Ceramics Page 2 of 7
D. Test Methods
Flexural Strength
Attachment A - ASTM C1161-13 is intended to be followed with the following considerations:
To estimate the mean, C1161 requires a minimum of 10 specimens. Thus, 30 specimens should be tested, with
10 orientated in each of X, Y, and Z directions.
The Four-Point Fully Articulating Fixture (pic above) is selected as the ceramic specimens will not meet the
parallelism requirements specified in section 7.1 of Attachment A due to the slight twists from the heat treatments
process. Assembly drawing of this fixture is shown below, and full drawing is attached as “Attachment C - Four Point
Fully Articulating Test Fixture Dwg”
Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity is intended to be tested per “Attachment B - Measurement Techniques for Thermal Conductivity”
using the fixture outlined in “Attachment D - Design and Fabrication of a Thermal Conductivity Test Apparatus” which
has been modified as specified below:
Frame:
A frame was built to hold the pump, tank, and electronics. Padded feet were added to absorb vibrations and
aluminum reinforcements were added.
Electronics box:
And electronics box was 3D printed and mounted to the frame. An Arduino was installed with accessible IO ports
for data acquisition. A breakout board was built and installed. Cables were soldered with standard connectors and
female pins soldered to the breakout board allow for easy replacement of the resistors.
Vacuum Chamber:
The vacuum chamber had insulation installed (R-Value of 3.85 per inch @ 75 deg F) in the base with cutout for
heated plate. This was covered in aluminum tape for protection and Kapton tape in relevant surfaces for thermal
insulation. A hinge was designed and added to the acrylic top to allow inside access without cable strain. The chamber
itself is held in place with cable connected to a hose clamp for tightening.
MISC:
All cables were resoldered, cable wrapped, and covered in cable sleeves for protection from both physical
damage and electronic noise. Thermistors were soldered per the manufacturer’s recommendation "Solder at least 5 cm
from base of thermistor and only for a brief moment". The heated pads were secured to the aluminum plate using
aluminum foil tape followed by Kapton tape for thermal insulation. Relevant surfaces of the aluminum plates were
sanded up to 3000 grit (wet) and then polished to mirror finish to reduce contact resistance.
Arduino Code:
Below is sample code to read from a single thermistor. This was used to test each thermistor to ensure
functionality.
Further Modifications:
Arduino code should be written to output temperatures of all thermistors. A display could be added to read
these values. The test apparatus stack should have support added to secure the stainless rods, cold plate, and weight in
place. A temperature switch or controller should be wired to the heat pads to regulate heat output.

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Preliminary Analysis: Test Methods for Page 1 of 7

Characterization of Material Properties in 3D-

B. Purpose and Scope

C. Test Samples - Manufacturing Considerations

Attachment A - ASTM C1161-13 is intended to be followed with the following considerations:

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