2-D Geometric Accuracy Investigation of Vat-Photopolymerisation Printed Yttrium Stabilised Zirconia Ceramics

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 146 - 157, 31.08.2025

Fatih Tarak , Basar Ozkan , Ehsan Sabet

Abstract

Vat-photopolymerisation is among the most promising approaches in ceramic additive manufacturing due to its low production costs and high dimensional accuracy. However, because the printing method is based on a photopolymerisation reaction initiated by a light source, light scattering significantly affects the quality of printed parts. This issue is particularly pronounced in ceramics with high refractive indices, such as yttrium stabilised zirconia (Y2O3-ZrO₂), where achieving precise geometric accuracy becomes challenging due to increased light scattering. To address this, the cure depth and two-dimensional accuracy of ceramic suspensions were evaluated. The study examined two different particle sizes to assess their influence on dimensional accuracy due to varying levels of light scattering. Additionally, since the photopolymerisation process in ceramic suspensions is initiated by free radicals, various concentrations of photoinitiators were tested to determine their impact on both cure depth and geometric error. Both particle size and photoinitiator concentration were analysed under different exposure times to assess their effects on the printed parts. The results demonstrate that particle size and photoinitiator concentration play critical roles in determining the cure depth and geometric accuracy of ceramic green bodies.

Keywords

Ceramic additive manufacturing , Vat-photopolymerisation , Yttrium stabilised zirconia , Dimensional accuracy

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