3D-Extrusion Manufacturing of a Kaolinite Dough Taken in Its Pristine State

Abstract

Ceramic is among the complicated materials to use in the design of fine objects. Complex shapes without any major defect are not easy to produce. In most of the cases, the production of ceramic parts is the results of three steps. Firstly, the “sculpture” of the raw piece by adding raw materials to lead to the final object. Secondly, the “drying” and finally the “high temperature oven-dry” of the dried raw object to transform the granular dough into a nice consistent compact material. Exploiting the special characteristics of ceramic is not only a thing of the past. Nowadays new possibilities, i.e., shapes and styles, can be offered in the use of ceramics, and especially where it concerns the application of the Additive Manufacturing (AM) concept. The combination of Computer Aided Design (CAD) to AM opens a completely new means of finding novel ways of processing final objects. By choosing to use kaolin clay without any chemical additions (or improvers) as “a model material,” the ability to produce controlled structures with freedom in design by additive deposition modeling is exposed. Discussions relate to the concomitant control of the process parameters, the kaolin hydration and the complexity of printed structures. The optimization of process parameters (nozzle speed, layer thickness, wall thickness) were defined with the calibration of the material flow. Both windows adjusting water content in dough (%wt) and imposing pressure in the tank of the 3D printer have been defined accordingly. The role of layer impression support was also found to be important. This study credits to use the state-of-the art technique (3D printing) to explore sustainable manufacturing of potteries.

Advancing Sustainable Construction: Insights into Clay-Based Additive Manufacturing for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

“…Smaller extruder diameters are advantageous as they tend to produce thinner layers, resulting in smoother surface finishes. Some results in the Literature have shown an interesting relationship where the higher the printing speed, the less viscous the fluid becomes [71]. This observation aligns with the behavior of supersaturated clay suspensions, which are known to exhibit shear-thinning properties.…”

“…However, water content also impacts the flowability of the clay. If the water content surpasses the minimum needed to sustain surface tension, the clay becomes overly fluid, consequently losing its ability to hold a defined shape [71]. Balancing water content and plasticity is crucial for successful 3D printing with clay, where maintaining the right consistency is critical to achieving the desired structural integrity and shape.…”

“…Besides, the first layer is fundamental for the printing process. Among the various factors influencing the first layer in printing, nozzle parameters, printing speed, bed temperature, surface adhesion, bed leveling, and the Z-offset calibration of the printer are crucial [33,71]. Boyer et al [71] investigated the impact of three different substrate types on the printing process: aluminum, paper, and polishing paper.…”

“…Among the various factors influencing the first layer in printing, nozzle parameters, printing speed, bed temperature, surface adhesion, bed leveling, and the Z-offset calibration of the printer are crucial [33,71]. Boyer et al [71] investigated the impact of three different substrate types on the printing process: aluminum, paper, and polishing paper. They found that the material tended to slide over the surface of aluminum, which could compromise print quality.…”

The Non-Carbon Kaolinite; Part Substituent of Cement in Concrete

“…The green MK-concrete, the Kaolinite swell, and act as diluent, disintegrating element, binder, amorphous making, particle film coating, emulsifying, pelletizing, granulating, and suspending agent, waterproof blockade that supports construction of sewerage systems, underground tanks, waste, and nuclear storing units, Murray, [8], Bundy [9],. Awad et al, [1], Boyer et al, [11]…”