The synthesis and manufacturing of polymer nanocomposites have garnered interest in recent research and development because of their superiority compared to traditionally employed industrial materials.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to eliminate Part defects and enrich additive manufacturing of ceramics. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) experiments were carried to investigate the effects of laser parameters and selective oxidation of Titanium (mixed with TiO2) on the microstructure, surface quality and melting state of Titania. The causes of several L-PBF parts defects were thoroughly analyzed. Design/methodology/approach Laser power and scanning speed were varied within a specific range (50–125 W and 170–200 mm/s, respectively). Furthermore, varying loads of Ti (1%, 3%, 5% and 15%) were mixed with TiO2, which was selectively oxidized with laser beam in the presence of oxygen environment. Findings Part defects such as cracks, pores and uneven grains growth were widely reduced in TiO2 L-PBF specimens. Increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed shown significant improvements in the surface morphology of TiO2 ceramics. The amount of Ti material was fully melted and simultaneously changed into TiO2 by the application of the laser beam. The selective oxidation of Ti material also improved the melting condition, microstructure and surface quality of the specimens. Originality/value TiO2 ceramic specimens were produced through L-PBF process. Increasing the laser power and decreasing the scanning speed is an effective way to sufficiently melt the powders and reduce parts defects. Selective oxidation of Ti by a high power laser beam approach was used to improve the manufacturability of TiO2 specimens.

Purpose This paper aims to reduce part defects and improve ceramic additive manufacturing (AM). Selective laser melting (SLM) experiments were carried out to explore the effect of laser power and scanning speed on the microstructure, melting behaviour and surface roughness of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) ceramic. Design/methodology/approach The experiments were designed based on varying laser power and scanning speed. The laser power was changed between 50 W and 140 W, and the scanning speed was changed between 170 mm/s and 210 mm/s. Other parameters, such as scanning strategy, layer thickness and hatch spacing, remain constant. Findings Laser power and scan speed are the two important laser parameters of great significance in the SLM technique that directly affect the molten state of ceramic powders. The findings reveal that Cu2O part defects are widely controlled by gradually increasing the laser power to 110 W and reducing the scanning speed to 170 mm/s. Furthermore, excessive laser power (>120 W) caused surface roughness, cavities and porous microstructure due to the extremely high energy input of the laser beam. Originality/value The SLM technique was used to produce Cu2O ceramic specimens. SLM of oxide ceramic became feasible using a slurry-based approach. The causes of several part defects such as spattering effect, crack initiation and propagation, the formation of porous microstructure, surface roughness and asymmetrical grain growth during the SLM of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) are thoroughly investigated.

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The synergistic integration of nanocomposites and 3D printing has opened a gateway to the future and is soon expected to surpass its rivalry with traditional manufacturing techniques. However, there is always a challenge associated with preparing a nanocomposite resin for polymerization-based 3D printing, which is the agglomeration of nanoparticles. Due to the high surface-area-to-volume ratio, the nanoparticles form clusters in the composite matrix, which affects the final properties. This paper aims to analyze the effects of graphene oxide (GO) dispersion on the mechanical and thermal properties of 3D-printed nanocomposites. In particular, a well-dispersed sonication dispersion route is employed for analyzing high and poor GO dispersions and their effects on different properties. After different microscopic analyses and testing, the optimum sonication condition was 30 min at an amplitude of 70%. In terms of mechanical properties, both tensile and compression strength first increased and then decreased gradually with different dispersions as well as varying GO concentrations. Furthermore, there was less or no effect on thermal stability. GO of 0.05 wt.% had the highest compression and tensile strength, while beyond 0.05 to 0.5 wt.%, both strengths reduced slowly. These 3D-printed nanocomposites have found their application in automotive, sports, and biomedical fields.

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Laser powder bed fusion is a laser-based additive manufacturing technique that uses a high-energy laser beam to interact directly with powder feedstock. LPBF of oxide ceramics is highly desirable for aerospace, biomedical and high-tech industries. However, the LPBF of ceramics remains a challenging area to address. In this work, a new slurry-based approach for LPBF of ceramic was studied, which has some significant advantages compared to indirect selective laser sintering of ceramic powders. LPBF of Al2O3 was fabricated at different MgO loads up to 80 wt%. Several specimens on different laser powers (70 W–120 W) were printed. The addition of magnesia influenced the microstructure of the alumina ceramic significantly. The findings show that when the laser power is high and the magnesia load is low, the surface quality of the printing parts improves. It is feasible to produce slurry ceramic parts without binders through LPBF. Furthermore, the effects of SiC and MgO loads on the microstructure and surface morphology of alumina are compared and analysed.

Correction for ‘Vat photopolymerization-based 3D printing of polymer nanocomposites: current trends and applications’ by Mussadiq Shah et al., RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 1456–1496. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA06522C