Yttrium-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics Fabrication through Material Extrusion 3D Printing

In this study, the authors refined and molded 8 wt.% yttrium-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) ceramic powders by using extrusion 3D printing to obtain green bodies. The green bodies were then subjected to degreasing and sintering to obtain the final parts. It used two printing nozzles, with diameters of 0.8 and 0.6 mm, for 3D molding, and examined the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the green, brown, and sintered parts. The parts printed by using both nozzles exhibited smooth surfaces and satisfactory layer-to-layer bonding. However, there were differences in the densities of the sintered parts obtained by using the two nozzles. The sintered part printed by using the nozzle with a diameter of 0.6 mm had a higher density of 5.37 g/cm3, while that printed by using the nozzle with a diameter of 0.8 mm had a density of 4.59 g/cm3. The bending strengths of the sintered bodies manufactured by using nozzles with diameters of 0.8 and 0.6 mm were 114.4 and 261.9 MPa, respectively.