Evaluation of the mechanical and photocatalytic properties of TiO2-reinforced cement-based materials in binder jet 3D printing

The development of modern 3D printing technologies has provided novel avenues for customized digital designs within the construction industry. The use of nano- and micro-scale additives is expected to enhance the performance of cement-based materials in 3D printing. TiO2 particles have been widely used as reinforcing additives in cement-based materials. Therefore, this study investigated the application of cement-based materials containing multi-sized TiO2 particles in binder jet 3D printing and the effect of differently sized TiO2 particles on the performance of the printed specimens. Moreover, the photocatalytic effect of printed specimens with TiO2 particles was explored. Based on the results, TiO2 particles exhibit an excellent filling effect that increases the density of the printed specimens and promotes hydration, thereby improving the compressive strength of the specimens. In addition, larger TiO2 particles exert more notable filling and photocatalytic effects on the resulting specimens. These findings suggested that the incorporation of multi-sized TiO2 particles into cement-based materials for binder jet 3D printing can be used to potentially create customized and highly functionalized structures with enhanced strength and environmentally friendly properties.