3D Printing Makes Brittle Ceramics Suitable for Industrial Use

A new solid-state 3D printing process combines metal with functional ceramics. The result is resilient composite materials with damping properties.

Researchers led by materials scientist Hang Yu from Virginia Tech have presented a manufacturing process that allows functional ceramics to be used in large-volume, load-bearing components. According to a publication in the journal Materials Science and Engineering R: Reports, the core of the approach is additive friction stir deposition (AFSD). This involves embedding ceramic shape memory particles in a metal matrix.

According to Yu, this results in dense, flawless components even in their as-printed state. The ceramic particles are evenly distributed in the metal and can transform under tensile, bending, or compressive loads without the component failing.

This makes the composite material multifunctional, enabling it to bear mechanical loads while simultaneously absorbing energy through stress-induced phase transformations. Yu sees potential applications in vibration and shock absorption, for example in structural components for aerospace, infrastructure construction, or safety-related systems.

Applications are also conceivable for sports equipment, where vibrations need to be reduced without increasing weight.

Scaling Previously Problematic

Shape memory ceramics can change their internal structure under mechanical stress and absorb energy in the process. However, according to Yu, this effect could previously only be exploited in microscopically small samples. When attempting to scale up, the materials usually failed due to cracking.

The composite material now being presented combines a metallic base structure with finely distributed ceramic particles that retain their function without weakening the component.

This is a partly automated translation of this german article.