Rheology improvement for silicon nitride and resin slurries for vat photopolymerization printing and sintering

Cramer, Corson L.; Hmeidat, Nadim S.; Mitchell, David J.; Snarr, Patrick L.; Cakmak, Ercan; Bullock, Steve E.; Aguirre, Trevor G.; Martinez, Marco C.; Armstrong, Beth L.

doi:10.1038/s44334-025-00051-y

Rheology improvement for silicon nitride and resin slurries for vat photopolymerization printing and sintering

Journal Article · Sat Aug 16 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · npj Advanced Manufacturing

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s44334-025-00051-y· OSTI ID:2584520

^[1]; ^[1]; Mitchell, David J. ^[2]; Snarr, Patrick L. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Martinez, Marco C. ^[1]; ^[1]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)

This work presents the formulation, rheological characterization, and sintering of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) slurries for vat photopolymerization (VPP) using digital light processing (DLP). Bimodal Si₃N₄ powder was dispersed into commercial photopolymer resin using two different dispersants with opposing effects on surface charge, resulting in varied slurry stability and flow behavior. Slurries were engineered to exhibit shear-thinning behavior suitable for VPP, and their flow properties were quantified using a power-law fluid model. The formulations achieved cure depths of approximately 40 µm and enabled printing of green bodies. Post-processing included thermal debinding and liquid-phase sintering, yielding primarily β-Si₃N₄ with a minor Y-Si-Al-O-N glass phase. The sintered parts reached ~85% of theoretical density and demonstrated a flexural strength of ~330 MPa. Microstructural analysis revealed closed porosity along with some defects related to powder agglomeration and interlayer adhesion. These findings provide insights into slurry formulation strategies for additive manufacturing of high-performance non-oxide ceramics.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 2584520

Journal Information:: npj Advanced Manufacturing, Journal Name: npj Advanced Manufacturing Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 2; ISSN 3004-8621

Publisher:: Springer NatureCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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