Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing is an optimized technology for complex-shaped ceramic cores,in which the solid loading of ceramic slurries greatly infiuences the microstructure and property of the final cerami...Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing is an optimized technology for complex-shaped ceramic cores,in which the solid loading of ceramic slurries greatly infiuences the microstructure and property of the final ceramic parts.However,the high solid loading of slurries is highly limited by the high viscosity.In this study,silica-based ceramic core slurries with solid loading up to 68vol.%were achieved by the composition design to optimize the performance,considering the curing,rheological,and double bond conversion rate.The slurries demonstrate superior curing and rheological performance with mass ratio of monomers being 3:2 and mass fraction of BYK111 being 4wt.%.Afterwards,the impact of solid loading on the morphology and mechanical properties was investigated.As the solid loading increases,the microstructure becomes gradually dense,leading to an improved flexural strength of 19.5 MPa.Additionally,the sintering shrinkage becomes more uniform,satisfying the casting requirements effectively.This work serves as a guide for the preparation of ceramic slurries with a high solid loading.展开更多
The performance of an aero-engine is closely related to the cooling ability of the hollow turbine blades.Ceramic core is an important component in the production of hollow turbine blades with a complex structure.As th...The performance of an aero-engine is closely related to the cooling ability of the hollow turbine blades.Ceramic core is an important component in the production of hollow turbine blades with a complex structure.As the pace of updating and iteration in turbine blade design continues to accelerate,the internal cavity structures of turbine blades have become increasingly complex.Traditional hot injection process is difficult to meet the production requirements of ceramic cores with complex structures.3D printing technology can manufacture ceramic cores without the need for moulds,significantly shortening the production cycle and providing a new technology for the production of ceramic cores with complex structures.To meet the technical requirements of the investment casting process,ceramic cores must possess adequate mechanical strength and appropriate porosity.In this work,the ceramic slurry with polysilazane(PSZ)precursor was successfully prepared,and the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores with high performance were fabricated using 3D printing technology.The regulation mechanism of polysilazane on the performance of ceramic cores was investigated.The results show that with the increase of PSZ content,the fiexural strength of ceramic cores firstly increases and then decreases.When the content of PSZ is 5%,the fiexural strength at 25℃and 1,500℃are 31.5 MPa and 13.1 MPa,respectively,and the porosity is 36.7%.This work is expected to advance the research and practical application of high-performance ceramic cores fabricated via 3D printing.展开更多
Considering the fracture problem of the silica-based ceramic core in the integrated casting of hollow turbine blades during directional solidification,the influence of various whiskers,including silicon carbide whiske...Considering the fracture problem of the silica-based ceramic core in the integrated casting of hollow turbine blades during directional solidification,the influence of various whiskers,including silicon carbide whiskers,silicon nitride whiskers,and mullite whiskers,on the high-temperature strength of the silica-based ceramic core was investigated.Additionally,the formation of microstructure morphology and phase structure was analyzed.Research results show that silicon carbide whiskers can reduce the microcracks caused by the shrinkage of cristobalite.During the sintering process,some of the silicon carbide whiskers oxidize and react with aluminum powder to form mullite,which can improve the high-temperature strength of the ceramic cores.When the content of silicon carbide whiskers is 3wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength of the cores reaches the maximum value of 21 MPa.Silicon nitride whiskers decompose in a high-temperature environment and react with aluminum powder in the matrix material to form mullite whiskers.When the content of silicon nitride whiskers is 5wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength of the cores reaches 20 MPa.By adding mullite whiskers,a structure of cristobalite wrapped mullite whiskers can be formed to achieve toughening.When the content of mullite whiskers is 4wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength can reach 17.2 MPa.By comparing the performance of silicon carbide whiskers,silicon nitride whiskers,and mullite whiskers,along with conducting slurry viscosity tests and casting experiments,it is determined that a ceramic slurry containing 4wt.%mullite whiskers is the most suitable for making the cores used in the integrated casting of hollow turbine blades.展开更多
Ceramic cores are important in the fabrication of superalloy hollow blades,which are increasingly characterized by intricate internal cavity channels.This complexity poses significant challenges to traditional manufac...Ceramic cores are important in the fabrication of superalloy hollow blades,which are increasingly characterized by intricate internal cavity channels.This complexity poses significant challenges to traditional manufacturing processes.The vat photopolymerization 3D printing technology provides a new choice for ceramic cores with complex structures.However,the lamellar structure of the vat photopolymerization 3D printed ceramic cores leads to the anisotropy.Meanwhile,the low strength and high shrinkage of ceramic cores restrict their industrial application.In this study,using Al_(2)O_(3)powder as the main material,the effects of zircon content on the sintering shrinkage,open porosity,fiexural strength,and other properties of Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores were studied to address the aforementioned issues.The influencing mechanism of zircon distribution on sintering shrinkage was analyzed,and the strengthening mechanism of mullite on ceramic cores was discussed from both thermodynamics and dynamics aspects.Through the comprehensive evaluation of ceramic core properties,the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic core with 15vol.%zircon exhibites the optimal performance.Compared with the core samples without zirconium addition,the fiexural strength of the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic core with 15vol.%zircon increases from 14.80 MPa to 61.54 MPa at 25°C,an increase of 315.8%;and from 4.91 MPa to 11.59 MPa at 1,500°C,an increase of 136.0%.The shrinkage in the Z-axis is reduced by 21%,which better weakens the anisotropy of the shrinkage of 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores.ZrO_(2)phase and mullite phase are formed by zircon,which improve the comprehensive properties of Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores.The successful 3D printing of high-performance Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores via vat photopolymerization has promoted its industrial application for fabricating ceramic cores with complex structures.展开更多
Ceramic cores fabricated by stereolithography exhibit great potential in casting turbine blades.Previous research on ceramic core molding was primarily conducted using vertical printing techniques,which not only resul...Ceramic cores fabricated by stereolithography exhibit great potential in casting turbine blades.Previous research on ceramic core molding was primarily conducted using vertical printing techniques,which not only resulted in lengthy molding durations but also compromised the mechanical strength.In this work,silica(SiO--_2)ceramic cores,with fine complex geometric shapes,were fabricated using 65vol.%ceramic slurry by digital light processing(DLP)with different printing angles.Printing angles significantly impact the surface accuracy,shrinkage,printing efficiency of green bodies,as well as the microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered ceramic core samples.As the printing angle in the green body increases,the bonding area decreases,surface roughness on the XY plane worsens,shrinkage in the Z direction becomes more pronounced,and the printing efficiency declines.Similarly,an increase in the printing angle in the sintered body leads to a reduction in bending strength.At a printing angle of 30°,the printing time is reduced to half of that at 90°,which improves the molding efficiency.Meanwhile,the obtained bulk density of 1.71 g·cm~(-3),open porosity of 24%,and fiexural strength of 10.6±1 MPa can meet the requirements of sintered ceramic cores.Therefore,designing and optimizing the printing angles can achieve the balance between shrinkage,printing efficiency,and fiexural strength.展开更多
Alumina ceramics are crucial for high-performance applications,such as turbine blades,due to their excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties.However,existing fabrication methods often fail to balance stren...Alumina ceramics are crucial for high-performance applications,such as turbine blades,due to their excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties.However,existing fabrication methods often fail to balance strength,porosity,and dimensional precision.This study partially fills this research gap through a systematic investigation of calcium oxide(CaO)doping effects on alumina ceramic cores fabricated via ceramic stereolithography,with controlled doping ratios and sintering parameters.A ceramic paste was prepared using coarse and fine Al_(2)O_(3) particles mixed with CaO as a sintering aid,followed by debinding and sintering to achieve optimal mechanical properties.The results show that CaO doping significantly enhances the fiexural strength of alumina cores while maintaining porosity levels between 20%and 30%and controlling the sintering shrinkage rate to about 5%.Additionally,CaO doping alters the microstructure by inhibiting the transformation of spherical fine particles into fiaky grains,improving sintering activity.However,as the CaO doping content increases,the bending strength increases,while the shrinkage rate of the material also tends to increase,resulting in a reduction in the overall porosity.This has a negative impact on the control of the manufacturing precision of turbine blades.Thus,although CaO doping improves strength and microstructure,achieving necessary dimensional control requires further optimization of doping content and sintering conditions.展开更多
As a reliable additive manufacturing technology,the stereolithography(SLA)ceramic core necessitates a tailored sintering process to achieve optimal performance.This study explored the effects of final sintering temper...As a reliable additive manufacturing technology,the stereolithography(SLA)ceramic core necessitates a tailored sintering process to achieve optimal performance.This study explored the effects of final sintering temperatures(specifically 1,150,1,250,and 1,300°C)on the properties of SLA-fabricated SiO_(2)-based ceramic cores reinforced with nano-ZrO_(2)(at concentrations of 1.0wt.%,1.5wt.%,and 2.0wt.%).The results demonstrate that increasing the final sintering temperature and the incorporation of nano-ZrO_(2)enhance the viscous fiow of quartz glass,resulting in a higher sintering degree.As the final sintering temperature rises,the ceramic samples exhibit increased shrinkage rate,decreased apparent porosity,and increased bulk density.Higher final sintering temperatures also promote greater cristobalite precipitation,promoting an increase in the amount and precipitation rate of quartz during investment casting.The formation of a cristobalite and ZrSiO_4 network at elevated temperatures effectively inhibits the viscous flow of quartz glass,thereby significantly improving high-temperature flexural strength and creep resistance of ceramic cores.When the content of nano-ZrO_(2)is between 1.5wt.%and 2.0wt.%,the final sintering temperature of 1,250°C is the best choice.Under these conditions,the shrinkage rate along the Z direction ranges from 3.35%to 3.68%,the porosity lies between 25.57%and 26.03%,the bulk density varies from 1.612 to 1.645 g·cm^(-3),the room temperature fiexural strength is between 26.79 and 27.85 MPa,and the fiexural strength at high temperatures is within the range of 30.77 to 33.02 MPa.The defiection at high-temperatures is 3.37-5.31 mm,while the surface roughness of the upper surface is 3.26-4.79μm,and the surface roughness of the side surface is 4.97-5.79μm.These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing the sintering processes of SLA ceramic cores,offering potential for industrial applications.展开更多
The complex ceramic core used for hollow turbine blades requires a high porosity and a high fiexural strength. For a better balance between porosity and fiexural strength, ceramic materials with porous structures are ...The complex ceramic core used for hollow turbine blades requires a high porosity and a high fiexural strength. For a better balance between porosity and fiexural strength, ceramic materials with porous structures are preferred. In order to achieve the transition from disordered pore formation to ordered pore formation, Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic cores with triply periodic minimal surface(TPMS) micro lattice structures with different structural configurations(gyroid, diamond, and neovius) and different volume fractions of lattice structures(30, 40, and 50, vol.%) were designed and prepared by vat photopolymerization 3D printing. The effects of structural configuration and volume fraction of the lattice structure on the following structural shrinkage, microstructure, and flexural strength were investigated. The shrinkage relationship of the three lattice configurations is: neovius>diamond>gyroid. Besides, it is found that with an increase in the volume fraction of the 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic micro lattice structures, their fiexural strength correspondingly increases ranging from 54.95 MPa to 139.1 MPa. The maximum average fiexural strength of the 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic micro lattice structures is obtained when the structural configuration is diamond and with a volume fraction of 50vol.%, which is 139.1 MPa. Even when the volume fraction of the lattice structure is 30vol.%, that is to say the porosity is 70%, the fiexural strength is as high as 50-70 MPa, which can still be maintained at a high level. In addition, when the volume fraction of the lattice structure is a certain value, the sample with diamond configuration has a higher strength. The internal pore morphology, pore size, and porosity of the cores are precisely controlled, achieving both a high porosity and a high strength. Therefore, this study maintains high porosity and high strength simultaneously, providing a new lattice structure design idea for 3D printed ceramic cores.展开更多
Ceramic cores are key components in the production of castings with complex cavity structures. With the continuous development of the aerospace field, the demand for the castings with complex cavity structures is incr...Ceramic cores are key components in the production of castings with complex cavity structures. With the continuous development of the aerospace field, the demand for the castings with complex cavity structures is increasing. When using insoluble ceramic cores for casting, there is a significant challenge in removing complex blind cavities, which severely affects the completeness of the shape of the castings. Soluble ceramic cores can disintegrate when placed in water, greatly simplifying the removal process of cores and ensuring the complete formation of castings with complex cavity structures. Additive manufacturing technology, compared to traditional methods for preparing the soluble ceramic cores, does not require molds and can achieve direct forming of complex cores, simplifying the preparation process and reducing production time and costs. Nowadays, various additive manufacturing technologies, such as stereolithography(SL), selective laser sintering(SLS), direct ink writing(DIW), and binder jetting(BJ) technologies, have been successfully applied to the preparation of the ceramic cores. This paper analyzed the advantages and limitations of various additive manufacturing technologies, reviewed the research progress and raw material classifications of soluble ceramic cores prepared by these technologies, and looked forward to the future developments in the preparation of soluble ceramic cores using additive manufacturing technologies.展开更多
To meet the evolving demands of aeroengine development,the structural and performance requirements for ceramic cores have become increasingly stringent.Vat photopolymerization 3D printing,owing to its moldless,fiexibl...To meet the evolving demands of aeroengine development,the structural and performance requirements for ceramic cores have become increasingly stringent.Vat photopolymerization 3D printing,owing to its moldless,fiexible manufacturing,and other advantages,demonstrates significant potential in the preparation of ceramic cores with intricate structures.However,its practical application still faces multiple challenges,including layered structures and property anisotropy,defects such as cracks and collapse during printing and sintering,forming inaccuracies,and difficulties in controlling surface roughness.Recent advances have focused on optimizing slurry formulation and rheology,improving curing behavior,introducing auxiliary powders and additives,tailoring forming parameters,and optimizing the sintering process.Nevertheless,effectively suppressing lamellar defects,achieving superior dimensional accuracy,and maintaining high surface quality in complex structures remain the core scientific and technical issues to be solved.Future research should concentrate on refining curing mechanisms,advancing powder design and organic system optimization,and regulating the coupled processes of forming,debinding,and sintering to accelerate the application of VPP 3D printed ceramic cores in aerospace manufacturing.展开更多
Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing technology has broken through mold limitations and shown great potential to manufacture complex-structured ceramic cores for turbine blades.However,improving dimensional accurac...Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing technology has broken through mold limitations and shown great potential to manufacture complex-structured ceramic cores for turbine blades.However,improving dimensional accuracy is difficult for the VPP 3D printed parts due to the high contraction deformation.Reducing shrinkage is a key challenge for developing 3D-printed ceramic cores.In this study,3D-printed alumina ceramic cores with near-zero shrinkage in the X direction were achieved for the first time using a novel approach that was called atmosphere-controlled in-situ oxidation of aluminum powder.The in-situ oxidation reaction of the aluminum powder was creatively tuned by changing the atmosphere transition temperature from argon to air.Then,the microstructure and properties of the ceramic core could be controlled by the liquid-phase sintering with the participation of atmosphere-protected molten aluminum.As a result,the pore size of the ceramic cores was significantly increased by almost ten times,but the bonding strength of the grains was also increased.In addition,the powder consolidation generated by the action of molten aluminum was considered to be an important reason for reducing the linear shrinkage of ceramic cores.Under the optimized parameters,the linear shrinkage of the ceramic cores was as low as 0.3%in the X direction.The high apparent porosity(45.02%)and flexural strength(72.7 MPa)of the alumina ceramic cores were realized at the same time.The in-situ control of sintering by changing the atmosphere will be a creative method for regulating the properties of ceramic materials.展开更多
In this work, the influences of alumina addition on cristobalite crystallization and properties of injec- tion molded silica-based ceramic cores were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） was used to characterize ph...In this work, the influences of alumina addition on cristobalite crystallization and properties of injec- tion molded silica-based ceramic cores were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） was used to characterize phase transformations in the samples, and the XRD result indicated that the addition of alumina pro- moted crystallization of fused silica during sintering at 1180-1220 ℃ and thus increases the amount of cristobalite. The increased amount of cristobalite as well as alumina addition led to much more thermal dilation due to their higher coefficients of thermal expansion than that of fused silica. The flexural strengths at room temperature and 1500 ~C were tested, and it was shown that alumina addition could not affect room temperature strength, but decreased the flexural strength at 1500 ℃. In addition, deflection resis- tance during heating to high temperatures was investigated, and the result indicated that alumina addition speeded up high temperature softening of the samples. XRD and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry （SEMJEDS） analysis suggested that this softening behavior was related with viscous flow sintering which could be accelerated by the reaction of alumina and silica with a product of mullite.展开更多
Ceramic cores with complex structures and optimized properties are critical for hollow turbine blades applied in aeroengines.Compared to traditional methods,additive manufacturing(AM)presents great advantages in formi...Ceramic cores with complex structures and optimized properties are critical for hollow turbine blades applied in aeroengines.Compared to traditional methods,additive manufacturing(AM)presents great advantages in forming complex ceramic cores,but how to balance the porosity and strength is an enormous challenge.In this work,alumina ceramic cores with high porosity,moderate strength,and low high-temperature deflection were prepared using stereolithography(SLA)3D printing by a novel powder gradation design strategy.The contradiction between porosity and flexural strength is well adjusted when the mass ratio of the coarse,medium,and fine particles is 2:1:1 and the sintering temperature is 1600℃.The fracture mode of coarse particles in sintered SLA 3D printing ceramic transforms from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture with the increase of sintering temperature and the proportion of fine powders in powder system.The sintered porosity has a greater influence on the high-temperature deflection of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores than grain size.On this basis,a"non-skeleton"microstructure model of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores is created to explain the relationship between the sintering process and properties.As a result,high porosity(36.4%),appropriate strength(50.1 MPa),and low high-temperature deflection(2.27 mm)were achieved by optimizing particle size gradation and sintering process,which provides an insight into the important enhancement of the comprehensive properties of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores.展开更多
Silica-based ceramic cores have been widely used to fabricate aero-engine hollow blades due to their moderate high temperature mechanical properties and excellent leachability.In this study,silica-based ceramics with ...Silica-based ceramic cores have been widely used to fabricate aero-engine hollow blades due to their moderate high temperature mechanical properties and excellent leachability.In this study,silica-based ceramics with SiC fiber addition were prepared via stereolithography,and the influence of SiC fiber content on mechanical properties of the obtained silica-based ceramics was investigated.With the increase of SiC fiber content,linear shrinkage gradually decreased,while room temperature flexural strength and high temperature flexural strength first increased and then decreased.As SiC fiber content increased to 4.0 wt%,linear shrinkage was reduced to 0.62%resulting from the oxidation of SiC.Furthermore,room temperature flexural strength was improved from 11.79 MPa to 23.83 MPa and high temperature flexural strength was enhanced from 15.64 MPa to 34.62 MPa with 4.0 wt%SiC fiber addition due to the reinforcement of fibers and the enhancedβ-cristobalite content,which meets the need of ceramic cores.Therefore,it demonstrates the capability of fabricating high-performance and high-precision silica-based ceramic cores reinforced by SiC fibers via stereolithography for rapid manufacturing of hollow blades.展开更多
The increasing demand for geometrically complex structures—specifically, higher-inlet-temperature turbine blades for the fifth-generation or other high-generation machines of advanced fighter aircrafts—hasmade the d...The increasing demand for geometrically complex structures—specifically, higher-inlet-temperature turbine blades for the fifth-generation or other high-generation machines of advanced fighter aircrafts—hasmade the development of more complex double-walled three-layer hollow-cavity structures a necessity.However, this requires the preparation of complex ceramic cores and advanced, integrated technologies.Stereolithographic three-dimensional printing (SLA-3DP) technology, with digital control upon materialmorphology, composition, and structure, is a high integration and versatile technique that is superior tothe traditional manufacturing techniques for ceramic cores, including gel casting, injection molding, andhot pressing. The latent capacity of this technique is contingent on the progress of processing routesthat significantly reduce the distortion and defect formation in response to the elimination of the reactedorganic monomer phase during photo-curing. Despite the tremendous progress in the field, multiple challenges remain, such as the preparation of high-solid-content and low-viscosity suspensions, SLA-3DP oflarge double-walled ceramic cores with complex structures, and process optimization and sinter strengthening for the fabrication of ceramic cores. These challenges have prevented the broader applications andreduced the impact of the SLA-3DP technology. This review discusses cutting-edge research on the crucialfactors governing this production method. Specifically, we outline the existing challenges within the fieldand provide our perspective on the upcoming research work and progress.展开更多
Vat photopolymerization 3D printing ceramic technology provides a feasible process for the preparation of complex internal cooling channels for aeroengine single crystal superalloy hollow blades.However,the typical la...Vat photopolymerization 3D printing ceramic technology provides a feasible process for the preparation of complex internal cooling channels for aeroengine single crystal superalloy hollow blades.However,the typical layered structure characteristics of 3D printing ceramic technology led to the anisotropy of ceramic core strength and sintering shrinkage,which greatly affects the performance and accuracy of the complex structure core and requires further research and improvement.Herein,the influence of the thickness of the slurry layer on the flow characteristics of the slurry in the process of the vat photopolymerization 3D printing slurry spreading was systematically studied by the method of simulation and experiment.The simulation results show that the positions of the turbulent zone and maximum velocity zone in the scraper front affect the redistribution of powder particles with different sizes.The layered structure was caused by the redistribution of ceramic particles of different sizes in the slurry layer.By controlling the turbulent flow zone and the maximum velocity zone of the scraper leading edge,the phenomenon of laminar flow can be weakened and the particle redistribution can be improved.With the increase of the thickness of the printing layer,the layered structure appears gradually,and the pores at the interface of the layered structure gradually concentrated into the interfacial pore lines from the uniform distribution,and the crack propagation changes from intergranular micro-crack to interlayer macro-crack.The combination of finite element simulation and experiment,through the slurry flow characteristics to control the layered structure of reductive vat photopolymerization ceramic core 3D printing,the control of crack propagation mode,element distribution and pore evolution of the core was accomplished,which lays a foundation for the performance control of ceramic 3D printing technology.展开更多
The silica-based ceramic core has attracted much attention in the preparation of hollow blades due to its great leachability.In this paper,the silica-based ceramic cores reinforced with ZrSiO_(4) were prepared by lase...The silica-based ceramic core has attracted much attention in the preparation of hollow blades due to its great leachability.In this paper,the silica-based ceramic cores reinforced with ZrSiO_(4) were prepared by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)combined with vacuum infiltration(VI).To enhance the infiltration effect,the pre-sintered bodies with high porosity and hydrophilicity were obtained by pre-sintering at 1100℃.Results showed that a large number of silica particles infiltrated into the pre-sintered bodies.The infiltrated silica promoted the generation of liquid phase in sintering,thereby promoting the removal of pores and the connection of grains.Nevertheless,the dispersed ZrSiO_(4) grains prevented the viscous flow of the liquid phase,thereby increasing the porosity.ZrSiO_(4) grains could hinder the propagation of cracks due to their high strength.When the addition of ZrSiO_(4) was 10 wt.%,room-temperature flexural strength of silica-based ceramic cores infiltrated with slurry S1(the mass ratio of silica sol to silica powder was 10:1)reached 17.21 MPa due to the reinforcement of sintering necks.Moreover,high-temperature flexural strength reached 13.90 MPa.Therefore,the pre-sintering process could greatly improve the mechanical properties of silica-based ceramic cores prepared by LPBF-VI technology.展开更多
Ceramic cores are widely used in investment casting,and ideal properties of cores are essential for high-quality castings.Under the circumstances requiring thick cores,solid cores are likely to encounter deformation a...Ceramic cores are widely used in investment casting,and ideal properties of cores are essential for high-quality castings.Under the circumstances requiring thick cores,solid cores are likely to encounter deformation and cracking defects due to the accumulation of shrinkage.Therefore,with the superiority of ceramic stereolithography in producing complex ceramic parts,hollow cores with lattice structures were designed and fabricated.The dimensional accuracy and properties of the green and sintered bodies were evaluated.Results show the dimensional accuracy of sintered cores is controlled within±0.25 mm benefited from the precise green bodies.The mechanical properties are not obviously deteriorated.The bending strength reaches 11.94 MPa at room temperature and 12.87 MPa at 1,500℃ with a creep deformation of 0.345 mm.Furthermore,casting verifications prove that the hollow cores meet the requirements of investment casting.Smooth casting surfaces are obtained,at the same time,the core-removal efficiency is improved by over 3 times.展开更多
During sintering of the silica-based ceramic core of turbine blades,a phenomenon called"nonuniform sintering"occurs that negatively affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the core.Standard samples ...During sintering of the silica-based ceramic core of turbine blades,a phenomenon called"nonuniform sintering"occurs that negatively affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the core.Standard samples of silica-based core were prepared by an injection molding method and sintered with alumina backfilling powder with different sodium contents.The effect of sodium content on the nonuniform sintering of silica-based cores and the thermal and mechanical properties was evaluated.Results show that the sintering level and the content ofα-cristobalite in the surface layer are significantly higher than that of the sample interior.A considerable number of microcracks are found in the surface layer due to theβtoα-phase transition of cristobalite.As the sodium content in the alumina powder decreases,the level of the nonuniform sintering and the amount of crystallized cristobalite in the surface layer decrease,which is beneficial to the thermal expansion and flexural strength at ambient temperature.The flexural strength and thermal deformation at high temperature are improved by reducing the surface cracks,but deteriorated with the decrease of the cristobalite crystallization when the surface cracks are macroscopically invisible.展开更多
With the improvement of aero-engine performance,the preparation of hollow blades of single-crystal superalloys with complex inner cavity cooling structures is becoming increasingly urgent.The ceramic core is the key i...With the improvement of aero-engine performance,the preparation of hollow blades of single-crystal superalloys with complex inner cavity cooling structures is becoming increasingly urgent.The ceramic core is the key intermediate part of the preparation and has attracted wide attention.To meet this challenge,new technologies that can make up for the defects of long periods and high costs of fabricating complex structural cores by traditional hot injection technology are needed.Vat photopolymerization 3D printing ceramic technology has been applied to the core field to realize the rapid preparation of complex structural cores.However,the industrial application of this technology still needs further research and improvement.Herein,ceramic cores were prepared using traditional hot injection and vat photopolymerization 3D printing techniques using fused silica,nano-ZrO_(2),and Al_(2)O_(3) powders as starting materials.The 3D printed ceramic core has a typical layered structure with a small pore size and low porosity.Because of the layered structure,the pore area is larger than that of the hot injection ceramic core,the leaching performance has little effect(0.0277 g/min for 3D printing cores,0.298 g/min for hot injection cores).In the X and Y directions,the sintering shrinkage is low(2.7%),but in the Z direction,the shrinkage is large(4.7%).The fracture occurs when the inner layer crack expands and connects with the interlayer crack,forming a stepped fracture in the 3D-printed cores.The bending strength of the 3D printed core at high temperature(1500℃)is 17.3 MPa.These analyses show that the performance of vat photopolymerization 3D-printed ceramic cores can meet the casting requirements of single crystal superalloy blades,which is a potential technology for the preparation of complex structure ceramic cores.The research mode of 3D printing core technology based on the traditional hot injection process provides an effective new idea for promoting the industrial application of 3D printing core technology.展开更多
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52102062)the Xi’an Science and Technology Plan Project(No.23LLRH0004)the Key Research and Development Project of Shaanxi Province of China(2024GX-YBXM-352)。
文摘Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing is an optimized technology for complex-shaped ceramic cores,in which the solid loading of ceramic slurries greatly infiuences the microstructure and property of the final ceramic parts.However,the high solid loading of slurries is highly limited by the high viscosity.In this study,silica-based ceramic core slurries with solid loading up to 68vol.%were achieved by the composition design to optimize the performance,considering the curing,rheological,and double bond conversion rate.The slurries demonstrate superior curing and rheological performance with mass ratio of monomers being 3:2 and mass fraction of BYK111 being 4wt.%.Afterwards,the impact of solid loading on the morphology and mechanical properties was investigated.As the solid loading increases,the microstructure becomes gradually dense,leading to an improved flexural strength of 19.5 MPa.Additionally,the sintering shrinkage becomes more uniform,satisfying the casting requirements effectively.This work serves as a guide for the preparation of ceramic slurries with a high solid loading.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52402094,U234120139,and U22A20129)National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China(No.JCKY2022130C005)+7 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M743571)Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(No.GZC20232743)Innovation Project of IMR(No.2024-PY11)Open Research Fund of National Key Laboratory of Advanced Casting Technologies(No.CAT2023-006)Graduate Education Quality Engineering Project of Anhui Province(No.2023cxcysj015)Science and Technology Plan Project of Liaoning Province(No.2024JH2/101900011)National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2024YFB3714500 and 2018YFB1106600)the China United Gas Turbine Technology Co.,Ltd.(No.J790)。
文摘The performance of an aero-engine is closely related to the cooling ability of the hollow turbine blades.Ceramic core is an important component in the production of hollow turbine blades with a complex structure.As the pace of updating and iteration in turbine blade design continues to accelerate,the internal cavity structures of turbine blades have become increasingly complex.Traditional hot injection process is difficult to meet the production requirements of ceramic cores with complex structures.3D printing technology can manufacture ceramic cores without the need for moulds,significantly shortening the production cycle and providing a new technology for the production of ceramic cores with complex structures.To meet the technical requirements of the investment casting process,ceramic cores must possess adequate mechanical strength and appropriate porosity.In this work,the ceramic slurry with polysilazane(PSZ)precursor was successfully prepared,and the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores with high performance were fabricated using 3D printing technology.The regulation mechanism of polysilazane on the performance of ceramic cores was investigated.The results show that with the increase of PSZ content,the fiexural strength of ceramic cores firstly increases and then decreases.When the content of PSZ is 5%,the fiexural strength at 25℃and 1,500℃are 31.5 MPa and 13.1 MPa,respectively,and the porosity is 36.7%.This work is expected to advance the research and practical application of high-performance ceramic cores fabricated via 3D printing.
文摘Considering the fracture problem of the silica-based ceramic core in the integrated casting of hollow turbine blades during directional solidification,the influence of various whiskers,including silicon carbide whiskers,silicon nitride whiskers,and mullite whiskers,on the high-temperature strength of the silica-based ceramic core was investigated.Additionally,the formation of microstructure morphology and phase structure was analyzed.Research results show that silicon carbide whiskers can reduce the microcracks caused by the shrinkage of cristobalite.During the sintering process,some of the silicon carbide whiskers oxidize and react with aluminum powder to form mullite,which can improve the high-temperature strength of the ceramic cores.When the content of silicon carbide whiskers is 3wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength of the cores reaches the maximum value of 21 MPa.Silicon nitride whiskers decompose in a high-temperature environment and react with aluminum powder in the matrix material to form mullite whiskers.When the content of silicon nitride whiskers is 5wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength of the cores reaches 20 MPa.By adding mullite whiskers,a structure of cristobalite wrapped mullite whiskers can be formed to achieve toughening.When the content of mullite whiskers is 4wt.%,the high-temperature bending strength can reach 17.2 MPa.By comparing the performance of silicon carbide whiskers,silicon nitride whiskers,and mullite whiskers,along with conducting slurry viscosity tests and casting experiments,it is determined that a ceramic slurry containing 4wt.%mullite whiskers is the most suitable for making the cores used in the integrated casting of hollow turbine blades.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52402094,U234120139,and U22A20129)the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China(No.JCKY2022130C005)+8 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M743571)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(N o.GZC20232743)the Innovation Project of IMR(2024-PY11)the Open Research Fund of National Key Laboratory of Advanced Casting Technologies(No.CAT2023-006)the Graduate Education Quality Engineering Project of Anhui Province(No.2023cxcysj015)the Science and Technology Plan Project of Liaoning Province(No.2024JH2/101900011)the Nationa Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos2024YFB3714500 and 2018YFB1106600)the China United Gas Turbine Technology Co.Ltd.under the project of J790。
文摘Ceramic cores are important in the fabrication of superalloy hollow blades,which are increasingly characterized by intricate internal cavity channels.This complexity poses significant challenges to traditional manufacturing processes.The vat photopolymerization 3D printing technology provides a new choice for ceramic cores with complex structures.However,the lamellar structure of the vat photopolymerization 3D printed ceramic cores leads to the anisotropy.Meanwhile,the low strength and high shrinkage of ceramic cores restrict their industrial application.In this study,using Al_(2)O_(3)powder as the main material,the effects of zircon content on the sintering shrinkage,open porosity,fiexural strength,and other properties of Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores were studied to address the aforementioned issues.The influencing mechanism of zircon distribution on sintering shrinkage was analyzed,and the strengthening mechanism of mullite on ceramic cores was discussed from both thermodynamics and dynamics aspects.Through the comprehensive evaluation of ceramic core properties,the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic core with 15vol.%zircon exhibites the optimal performance.Compared with the core samples without zirconium addition,the fiexural strength of the Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic core with 15vol.%zircon increases from 14.80 MPa to 61.54 MPa at 25°C,an increase of 315.8%;and from 4.91 MPa to 11.59 MPa at 1,500°C,an increase of 136.0%.The shrinkage in the Z-axis is reduced by 21%,which better weakens the anisotropy of the shrinkage of 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores.ZrO_(2)phase and mullite phase are formed by zircon,which improve the comprehensive properties of Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores.The successful 3D printing of high-performance Al_(2)O_(3)-based ceramic cores via vat photopolymerization has promoted its industrial application for fabricating ceramic cores with complex structures.
基金the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Science(No.2021160)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51802319)the Technology and Engineering Center for Space(No.CSU-QZKT-2019-04)。
文摘Ceramic cores fabricated by stereolithography exhibit great potential in casting turbine blades.Previous research on ceramic core molding was primarily conducted using vertical printing techniques,which not only resulted in lengthy molding durations but also compromised the mechanical strength.In this work,silica(SiO--_2)ceramic cores,with fine complex geometric shapes,were fabricated using 65vol.%ceramic slurry by digital light processing(DLP)with different printing angles.Printing angles significantly impact the surface accuracy,shrinkage,printing efficiency of green bodies,as well as the microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered ceramic core samples.As the printing angle in the green body increases,the bonding area decreases,surface roughness on the XY plane worsens,shrinkage in the Z direction becomes more pronounced,and the printing efficiency declines.Similarly,an increase in the printing angle in the sintered body leads to a reduction in bending strength.At a printing angle of 30°,the printing time is reduced to half of that at 90°,which improves the molding efficiency.Meanwhile,the obtained bulk density of 1.71 g·cm~(-3),open porosity of 24%,and fiexural strength of 10.6±1 MPa can meet the requirements of sintered ceramic cores.Therefore,designing and optimizing the printing angles can achieve the balance between shrinkage,printing efficiency,and fiexural strength.
基金financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFB4606101)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFB4601404)+3 种基金the Innovative and Entrepreneurial PhD Program of Jiangsu Province(No.JSSCBS20210836)the youth program of Jiangnan University(No.JUSRP121038)the Taihu Talent Program of Wuxi Citythe Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent Program of Jiangsu Province(No.JSSCRC2021531)。
文摘Alumina ceramics are crucial for high-performance applications,such as turbine blades,due to their excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties.However,existing fabrication methods often fail to balance strength,porosity,and dimensional precision.This study partially fills this research gap through a systematic investigation of calcium oxide(CaO)doping effects on alumina ceramic cores fabricated via ceramic stereolithography,with controlled doping ratios and sintering parameters.A ceramic paste was prepared using coarse and fine Al_(2)O_(3) particles mixed with CaO as a sintering aid,followed by debinding and sintering to achieve optimal mechanical properties.The results show that CaO doping significantly enhances the fiexural strength of alumina cores while maintaining porosity levels between 20%and 30%and controlling the sintering shrinkage rate to about 5%.Additionally,CaO doping alters the microstructure by inhibiting the transformation of spherical fine particles into fiaky grains,improving sintering activity.However,as the CaO doping content increases,the bending strength increases,while the shrinkage rate of the material also tends to increase,resulting in a reduction in the overall porosity.This has a negative impact on the control of the manufacturing precision of turbine blades.Thus,although CaO doping improves strength and microstructure,achieving necessary dimensional control requires further optimization of doping content and sintering conditions.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(No.23ZR1421500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52474412,52127807,52271035)+3 种基金the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization(No.GYOJ2022-2-02)the United Innovation Program of Shanghai Commercial Aircraft Engine(No.AR966)the SPMI Project from Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology(No.SPMI2022-06)the Ningbo International Science and Technology Cooperation Program(No.2023H004)。
文摘As a reliable additive manufacturing technology,the stereolithography(SLA)ceramic core necessitates a tailored sintering process to achieve optimal performance.This study explored the effects of final sintering temperatures(specifically 1,150,1,250,and 1,300°C)on the properties of SLA-fabricated SiO_(2)-based ceramic cores reinforced with nano-ZrO_(2)(at concentrations of 1.0wt.%,1.5wt.%,and 2.0wt.%).The results demonstrate that increasing the final sintering temperature and the incorporation of nano-ZrO_(2)enhance the viscous fiow of quartz glass,resulting in a higher sintering degree.As the final sintering temperature rises,the ceramic samples exhibit increased shrinkage rate,decreased apparent porosity,and increased bulk density.Higher final sintering temperatures also promote greater cristobalite precipitation,promoting an increase in the amount and precipitation rate of quartz during investment casting.The formation of a cristobalite and ZrSiO_4 network at elevated temperatures effectively inhibits the viscous flow of quartz glass,thereby significantly improving high-temperature flexural strength and creep resistance of ceramic cores.When the content of nano-ZrO_(2)is between 1.5wt.%and 2.0wt.%,the final sintering temperature of 1,250°C is the best choice.Under these conditions,the shrinkage rate along the Z direction ranges from 3.35%to 3.68%,the porosity lies between 25.57%and 26.03%,the bulk density varies from 1.612 to 1.645 g·cm^(-3),the room temperature fiexural strength is between 26.79 and 27.85 MPa,and the fiexural strength at high temperatures is within the range of 30.77 to 33.02 MPa.The defiection at high-temperatures is 3.37-5.31 mm,while the surface roughness of the upper surface is 3.26-4.79μm,and the surface roughness of the side surface is 4.97-5.79μm.These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing the sintering processes of SLA ceramic cores,offering potential for industrial applications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52275310)。
文摘The complex ceramic core used for hollow turbine blades requires a high porosity and a high fiexural strength. For a better balance between porosity and fiexural strength, ceramic materials with porous structures are preferred. In order to achieve the transition from disordered pore formation to ordered pore formation, Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic cores with triply periodic minimal surface(TPMS) micro lattice structures with different structural configurations(gyroid, diamond, and neovius) and different volume fractions of lattice structures(30, 40, and 50, vol.%) were designed and prepared by vat photopolymerization 3D printing. The effects of structural configuration and volume fraction of the lattice structure on the following structural shrinkage, microstructure, and flexural strength were investigated. The shrinkage relationship of the three lattice configurations is: neovius>diamond>gyroid. Besides, it is found that with an increase in the volume fraction of the 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic micro lattice structures, their fiexural strength correspondingly increases ranging from 54.95 MPa to 139.1 MPa. The maximum average fiexural strength of the 3D printed Al_(2)O_(3) ceramic micro lattice structures is obtained when the structural configuration is diamond and with a volume fraction of 50vol.%, which is 139.1 MPa. Even when the volume fraction of the lattice structure is 30vol.%, that is to say the porosity is 70%, the fiexural strength is as high as 50-70 MPa, which can still be maintained at a high level. In addition, when the volume fraction of the lattice structure is a certain value, the sample with diamond configuration has a higher strength. The internal pore morphology, pore size, and porosity of the cores are precisely controlled, achieving both a high porosity and a high strength. Therefore, this study maintains high porosity and high strength simultaneously, providing a new lattice structure design idea for 3D printed ceramic cores.
基金provided by the National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program (Grant No.JCKY2022213C008)。
文摘Ceramic cores are key components in the production of castings with complex cavity structures. With the continuous development of the aerospace field, the demand for the castings with complex cavity structures is increasing. When using insoluble ceramic cores for casting, there is a significant challenge in removing complex blind cavities, which severely affects the completeness of the shape of the castings. Soluble ceramic cores can disintegrate when placed in water, greatly simplifying the removal process of cores and ensuring the complete formation of castings with complex cavity structures. Additive manufacturing technology, compared to traditional methods for preparing the soluble ceramic cores, does not require molds and can achieve direct forming of complex cores, simplifying the preparation process and reducing production time and costs. Nowadays, various additive manufacturing technologies, such as stereolithography(SL), selective laser sintering(SLS), direct ink writing(DIW), and binder jetting(BJ) technologies, have been successfully applied to the preparation of the ceramic cores. This paper analyzed the advantages and limitations of various additive manufacturing technologies, reviewed the research progress and raw material classifications of soluble ceramic cores prepared by these technologies, and looked forward to the future developments in the preparation of soluble ceramic cores using additive manufacturing technologies.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant Nos.2024YFB3714502,2024YFB3714501,2024YFB3714504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52130204,52174376)+5 种基金the TQ Innovation Foundation(Grant No.23-TQ09-02-ZT-01-005)the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China(Grant No.20220042053001)the Ningbo Science and Technology Plan Project(Grant No.2025Z070)the Key R&D Project of Shaanxi Province(Grant Nos2024GX-YBXM-220,2024CY-GJHX-29,2024GX-ZDCYL-03-03,2024GX-YBXM-400)the National Advanced Rare Metal Materials Innovation Center Project[Grant No.2024 ZG-GCZX-01(1)-01]the Foundation of China Scholarship Council(Grant No.202406290136)。
文摘To meet the evolving demands of aeroengine development,the structural and performance requirements for ceramic cores have become increasingly stringent.Vat photopolymerization 3D printing,owing to its moldless,fiexible manufacturing,and other advantages,demonstrates significant potential in the preparation of ceramic cores with intricate structures.However,its practical application still faces multiple challenges,including layered structures and property anisotropy,defects such as cracks and collapse during printing and sintering,forming inaccuracies,and difficulties in controlling surface roughness.Recent advances have focused on optimizing slurry formulation and rheology,improving curing behavior,introducing auxiliary powders and additives,tailoring forming parameters,and optimizing the sintering process.Nevertheless,effectively suppressing lamellar defects,achieving superior dimensional accuracy,and maintaining high surface quality in complex structures remain the core scientific and technical issues to be solved.Future research should concentrate on refining curing mechanisms,advancing powder design and organic system optimization,and regulating the coupled processes of forming,debinding,and sintering to accelerate the application of VPP 3D printed ceramic cores in aerospace manufacturing.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52130204,52174376)the Guangdong Basic and Ap-plied Basic Research Foundation(No.2021B1515120028)+6 种基金the Sci-ence and Technology Innovation Team Plan of Shaan Xi Province(No.2021TD-17)the Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi Univer-sities,Xi’an Science and Technology Program(No.21ZCZZHXJS-QCY6-0005)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Uni-versities(Nos.D5000230348,D5000210902)the TQ Innovation Foundation(No.23-TQ09-02-ZT-01-005)the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China(No.20220042053001)the Thousands Person Plan of Jiangxi Province(No.grant number JXSQ2020102131)the Innovation Foundation for Doctor Dissertation of Northwestern Polytechnical University(No.CX2022033),China.
文摘Vat photopolymerization(VPP)3D printing technology has broken through mold limitations and shown great potential to manufacture complex-structured ceramic cores for turbine blades.However,improving dimensional accuracy is difficult for the VPP 3D printed parts due to the high contraction deformation.Reducing shrinkage is a key challenge for developing 3D-printed ceramic cores.In this study,3D-printed alumina ceramic cores with near-zero shrinkage in the X direction were achieved for the first time using a novel approach that was called atmosphere-controlled in-situ oxidation of aluminum powder.The in-situ oxidation reaction of the aluminum powder was creatively tuned by changing the atmosphere transition temperature from argon to air.Then,the microstructure and properties of the ceramic core could be controlled by the liquid-phase sintering with the participation of atmosphere-protected molten aluminum.As a result,the pore size of the ceramic cores was significantly increased by almost ten times,but the bonding strength of the grains was also increased.In addition,the powder consolidation generated by the action of molten aluminum was considered to be an important reason for reducing the linear shrinkage of ceramic cores.Under the optimized parameters,the linear shrinkage of the ceramic cores was as low as 0.3%in the X direction.The high apparent porosity(45.02%)and flexural strength(72.7 MPa)of the alumina ceramic cores were realized at the same time.The in-situ control of sintering by changing the atmosphere will be a creative method for regulating the properties of ceramic materials.
文摘In this work, the influences of alumina addition on cristobalite crystallization and properties of injec- tion molded silica-based ceramic cores were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） was used to characterize phase transformations in the samples, and the XRD result indicated that the addition of alumina pro- moted crystallization of fused silica during sintering at 1180-1220 ℃ and thus increases the amount of cristobalite. The increased amount of cristobalite as well as alumina addition led to much more thermal dilation due to their higher coefficients of thermal expansion than that of fused silica. The flexural strengths at room temperature and 1500 ~C were tested, and it was shown that alumina addition could not affect room temperature strength, but decreased the flexural strength at 1500 ℃. In addition, deflection resis- tance during heating to high temperatures was investigated, and the result indicated that alumina addition speeded up high temperature softening of the samples. XRD and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry （SEMJEDS） analysis suggested that this softening behavior was related with viscous flow sintering which could be accelerated by the reaction of alumina and silica with a product of mullite.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52130204,52174376,51822405)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.21201910250000848)+5 种基金Science and Technology Innovation Team Plan of Shaan Xi Province(No.2021TD-17)The Youth Innovation Team of Shaanxi UniversitiesJoint Research Funds of the Department of Science&Technology of Shaanxi Province and NPU(2020GXLH-Z-024)Key R&D Program of Shaan Xi Province(No.2019ZDLGY 04-04)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.D5000210902)Innovation Foundation for Doctor Dissertation of Northwestern Polytechnical University(Nos.CX2021056 and CX2021066),China。
文摘Ceramic cores with complex structures and optimized properties are critical for hollow turbine blades applied in aeroengines.Compared to traditional methods,additive manufacturing(AM)presents great advantages in forming complex ceramic cores,but how to balance the porosity and strength is an enormous challenge.In this work,alumina ceramic cores with high porosity,moderate strength,and low high-temperature deflection were prepared using stereolithography(SLA)3D printing by a novel powder gradation design strategy.The contradiction between porosity and flexural strength is well adjusted when the mass ratio of the coarse,medium,and fine particles is 2:1:1 and the sintering temperature is 1600℃.The fracture mode of coarse particles in sintered SLA 3D printing ceramic transforms from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture with the increase of sintering temperature and the proportion of fine powders in powder system.The sintered porosity has a greater influence on the high-temperature deflection of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores than grain size.On this basis,a"non-skeleton"microstructure model of SLA 3D printed alumina ceramic cores is created to explain the relationship between the sintering process and properties.As a result,high porosity(36.4%),appropriate strength(50.1 MPa),and low high-temperature deflection(2.27 mm)were achieved by optimizing particle size gradation and sintering process,which provides an insight into the important enhancement of the comprehensive properties of SLA 3D printed ceramic cores.
基金supported by National Science and Technology Major Project(no.2017-Ⅶ-0008-0102)National Natural Science Foundation of China(no.51975230)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(nos.2019kfy XMPY020,2020kfy FPZX003,2018KFYYXJJ030,2019kfy XKJC011)。
文摘Silica-based ceramic cores have been widely used to fabricate aero-engine hollow blades due to their moderate high temperature mechanical properties and excellent leachability.In this study,silica-based ceramics with SiC fiber addition were prepared via stereolithography,and the influence of SiC fiber content on mechanical properties of the obtained silica-based ceramics was investigated.With the increase of SiC fiber content,linear shrinkage gradually decreased,while room temperature flexural strength and high temperature flexural strength first increased and then decreased.As SiC fiber content increased to 4.0 wt%,linear shrinkage was reduced to 0.62%resulting from the oxidation of SiC.Furthermore,room temperature flexural strength was improved from 11.79 MPa to 23.83 MPa and high temperature flexural strength was enhanced from 15.64 MPa to 34.62 MPa with 4.0 wt%SiC fiber addition due to the reinforcement of fibers and the enhancedβ-cristobalite content,which meets the need of ceramic cores.Therefore,it demonstrates the capability of fabricating high-performance and high-precision silica-based ceramic cores reinforced by SiC fibers via stereolithography for rapid manufacturing of hollow blades.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program,China(No.2018YFB1106600)National Science and Technology Major Project,China(No.2017-VI-0002–0072 and No.Y2019-VII-0011-0151).
文摘The increasing demand for geometrically complex structures—specifically, higher-inlet-temperature turbine blades for the fifth-generation or other high-generation machines of advanced fighter aircrafts—hasmade the development of more complex double-walled three-layer hollow-cavity structures a necessity.However, this requires the preparation of complex ceramic cores and advanced, integrated technologies.Stereolithographic three-dimensional printing (SLA-3DP) technology, with digital control upon materialmorphology, composition, and structure, is a high integration and versatile technique that is superior tothe traditional manufacturing techniques for ceramic cores, including gel casting, injection molding, andhot pressing. The latent capacity of this technique is contingent on the progress of processing routesthat significantly reduce the distortion and defect formation in response to the elimination of the reactedorganic monomer phase during photo-curing. Despite the tremendous progress in the field, multiple challenges remain, such as the preparation of high-solid-content and low-viscosity suspensions, SLA-3DP oflarge double-walled ceramic cores with complex structures, and process optimization and sinter strengthening for the fabrication of ceramic cores. These challenges have prevented the broader applications andreduced the impact of the SLA-3DP technology. This review discusses cutting-edge research on the crucialfactors governing this production method. Specifically, we outline the existing challenges within the fieldand provide our perspective on the upcoming research work and progress.
基金financially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U22A20129)the National Science and Technology Major Project(No.2017-VI-0002-0072)+2 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFB1106600)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(WK5290000003)the Students’Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation of USTC(Nos.CY2022G10 and CY2022C24).
文摘Vat photopolymerization 3D printing ceramic technology provides a feasible process for the preparation of complex internal cooling channels for aeroengine single crystal superalloy hollow blades.However,the typical layered structure characteristics of 3D printing ceramic technology led to the anisotropy of ceramic core strength and sintering shrinkage,which greatly affects the performance and accuracy of the complex structure core and requires further research and improvement.Herein,the influence of the thickness of the slurry layer on the flow characteristics of the slurry in the process of the vat photopolymerization 3D printing slurry spreading was systematically studied by the method of simulation and experiment.The simulation results show that the positions of the turbulent zone and maximum velocity zone in the scraper front affect the redistribution of powder particles with different sizes.The layered structure was caused by the redistribution of ceramic particles of different sizes in the slurry layer.By controlling the turbulent flow zone and the maximum velocity zone of the scraper leading edge,the phenomenon of laminar flow can be weakened and the particle redistribution can be improved.With the increase of the thickness of the printing layer,the layered structure appears gradually,and the pores at the interface of the layered structure gradually concentrated into the interfacial pore lines from the uniform distribution,and the crack propagation changes from intergranular micro-crack to interlayer macro-crack.The combination of finite element simulation and experiment,through the slurry flow characteristics to control the layered structure of reductive vat photopolymerization ceramic core 3D printing,the control of crack propagation mode,element distribution and pore evolution of the core was accomplished,which lays a foundation for the performance control of ceramic 3D printing technology.
基金financially supported by National Science and Technology Major Project(No.2017-Ⅶ−0008-0102)National Nat-ural Science Foundation of China(No.51975230)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.2019kfyXMPY020,2020kfyFPZX003,2018KFYYXJJ030 and 2019kfyXKJC011)。
文摘The silica-based ceramic core has attracted much attention in the preparation of hollow blades due to its great leachability.In this paper,the silica-based ceramic cores reinforced with ZrSiO_(4) were prepared by laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)combined with vacuum infiltration(VI).To enhance the infiltration effect,the pre-sintered bodies with high porosity and hydrophilicity were obtained by pre-sintering at 1100℃.Results showed that a large number of silica particles infiltrated into the pre-sintered bodies.The infiltrated silica promoted the generation of liquid phase in sintering,thereby promoting the removal of pores and the connection of grains.Nevertheless,the dispersed ZrSiO_(4) grains prevented the viscous flow of the liquid phase,thereby increasing the porosity.ZrSiO_(4) grains could hinder the propagation of cracks due to their high strength.When the addition of ZrSiO_(4) was 10 wt.%,room-temperature flexural strength of silica-based ceramic cores infiltrated with slurry S1(the mass ratio of silica sol to silica powder was 10:1)reached 17.21 MPa due to the reinforcement of sintering necks.Moreover,high-temperature flexural strength reached 13.90 MPa.Therefore,the pre-sintering process could greatly improve the mechanical properties of silica-based ceramic cores prepared by LPBF-VI technology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52175333)Tribology Science Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Tribology,Tsinghua University (Grant No. SKLT2021B05)+1 种基金Foshan Science and Technology Innovation Team Project (Grant No. 2018IT100142)National Science and Technology Major Project of China (Grant No. J2019-VII-0002-0142)
文摘Ceramic cores are widely used in investment casting,and ideal properties of cores are essential for high-quality castings.Under the circumstances requiring thick cores,solid cores are likely to encounter deformation and cracking defects due to the accumulation of shrinkage.Therefore,with the superiority of ceramic stereolithography in producing complex ceramic parts,hollow cores with lattice structures were designed and fabricated.The dimensional accuracy and properties of the green and sintered bodies were evaluated.Results show the dimensional accuracy of sintered cores is controlled within±0.25 mm benefited from the precise green bodies.The mechanical properties are not obviously deteriorated.The bending strength reaches 11.94 MPa at room temperature and 12.87 MPa at 1,500℃ with a creep deformation of 0.345 mm.Furthermore,casting verifications prove that the hollow cores meet the requirements of investment casting.Smooth casting surfaces are obtained,at the same time,the core-removal efficiency is improved by over 3 times.
基金funded by the Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission Project(SZDRC 20181000)made possible through funding from the Wedge Central South Research Institute,Chinasupported by the State Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing,Northwestern Polytechnical University,China。
文摘During sintering of the silica-based ceramic core of turbine blades,a phenomenon called"nonuniform sintering"occurs that negatively affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the core.Standard samples of silica-based core were prepared by an injection molding method and sintered with alumina backfilling powder with different sodium contents.The effect of sodium content on the nonuniform sintering of silica-based cores and the thermal and mechanical properties was evaluated.Results show that the sintering level and the content ofα-cristobalite in the surface layer are significantly higher than that of the sample interior.A considerable number of microcracks are found in the surface layer due to theβtoα-phase transition of cristobalite.As the sodium content in the alumina powder decreases,the level of the nonuniform sintering and the amount of crystallized cristobalite in the surface layer decrease,which is beneficial to the thermal expansion and flexural strength at ambient temperature.The flexural strength and thermal deformation at high temperature are improved by reducing the surface cracks,but deteriorated with the decrease of the cristobalite crystallization when the surface cracks are macroscopically invisible.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2021YFB3702500,2018YFB1106600)the National Science and Technology Major Project(Nos.2019-VII-0019-0161 andY2019-VII-0011-0151)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.WK5290000003).
文摘With the improvement of aero-engine performance,the preparation of hollow blades of single-crystal superalloys with complex inner cavity cooling structures is becoming increasingly urgent.The ceramic core is the key intermediate part of the preparation and has attracted wide attention.To meet this challenge,new technologies that can make up for the defects of long periods and high costs of fabricating complex structural cores by traditional hot injection technology are needed.Vat photopolymerization 3D printing ceramic technology has been applied to the core field to realize the rapid preparation of complex structural cores.However,the industrial application of this technology still needs further research and improvement.Herein,ceramic cores were prepared using traditional hot injection and vat photopolymerization 3D printing techniques using fused silica,nano-ZrO_(2),and Al_(2)O_(3) powders as starting materials.The 3D printed ceramic core has a typical layered structure with a small pore size and low porosity.Because of the layered structure,the pore area is larger than that of the hot injection ceramic core,the leaching performance has little effect(0.0277 g/min for 3D printing cores,0.298 g/min for hot injection cores).In the X and Y directions,the sintering shrinkage is low(2.7%),but in the Z direction,the shrinkage is large(4.7%).The fracture occurs when the inner layer crack expands and connects with the interlayer crack,forming a stepped fracture in the 3D-printed cores.The bending strength of the 3D printed core at high temperature(1500℃)is 17.3 MPa.These analyses show that the performance of vat photopolymerization 3D-printed ceramic cores can meet the casting requirements of single crystal superalloy blades,which is a potential technology for the preparation of complex structure ceramic cores.The research mode of 3D printing core technology based on the traditional hot injection process provides an effective new idea for promoting the industrial application of 3D printing core technology.
