The use of robocasting technique to manufacture cordierite

Technical ceramics often present remarkable properties, such as high mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, or wear resistance. Therefore, they are used as critical components for specific applications in the fields of aerospace, automotive, energy production or cutting tools. Silicate ceramics usually present less efficient properties. However, they can be an advantageous alternative to technical ceramics in many applications operating at room or moderate temperature (<1000°C). Moreover, regarding the environmental aspect, silicate ceramics are processed from natural abundant mineral resources, show a high recyclability, and require moderate sintering temperatures. One potential technical application is their use as components in clean energy systems such as catalyst substrates. Beyond the environmental and cost aspects which are attractive elements from an industrial point of view, the improvement of their efficiency depending on the targeted application must also be a focus point to promote their use in the industrial world. This can be achieved by manufacturing components with complex architectures and internal structures that can only be achieved by additive manufacturing. With such advanced architectures, the exchange surface can be increased for the same volume using less material, for instance in filtration or catalysis applications. This is the aim of the present study which is dedicated to the shaping method of cordierite powder by robocasting. This study deals with the formulation of a stable slurry of cordierite powder with a suitable viscosity for the robocasting process and with a sufficient solid content. The effects of 3D printing and sintering parameters on the printed parts regarding their final properties after firing such as density/porosity are also investigated