Fabrication of hierarchical lattice structures from zirconia stabilized ceramics by micro-SLA 3D printing approach

The need for the new materials and advanced manufacturing techniques for achieving the highest characteristics of energy devices is an obvious trend. One of the possible ways to create structures for energy applications is to introduce complex geometries and promising features with additive manufacturing (AM). Using this approach, it is possible to create complex geometry and moreover decrease the weight of materials. In this paper, we developed the layer-by-layer fabrication approach of ceramic hierarchical lattice structures via the (micro-SLA) technology. As a feedstock material, the novel composition of partly stabilized-zirconia ceramics (6ScSZ, 8YSZ) was developed. Materials were selected as a solid slurry component due to high ionic conductivity at the working temperature of modern solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). For the sintering, the green body heat treatment process was optimized to one step, which decrease the time and production cost. The data from scanning electron microscopy and micro-CT shows that 112-layer samples of the octet truss did not show any critical defects, and the achieved relative density was close to the theoretical one. Totally, 22 samples with the total size of 6.5 mm * 6.5 mm * 2.8 mm and the diameter of struts in the range of 240–250 μm were fabricated at a rate of only 56 min per sample, using two modifications of advanced doped zirconia-ceramics. This study opens new opportunities for the development and transfer to the production of additive manufacturing of ceramics to build energy systems devices such as solid oxide fuel cells.