6.06 Innovative photocurable formulations for AM applications in the production of ceramic tiles molds 

An open challenge, however, is given by the properties of the mold. Actually, the used mold material is relatively easy to be worn-out, due to the fact that ceramic powders (the material to be pressed by the mold) are very abrasive.
One of the main limitations of the actual DOD technology is related to the presence of a maximum viscosity limit of the resins in use. This aspect represents a strong limitation for a much wider selection of photocurable resins and related formulations having a higher potential in terms of abrasion resistance, hardness, etc.
In the present project, the use of printing heads and related accessories able to operate at high temperatures for the realization of a lab-scale prototype system for resin application will be the base for exploring the possibility to use resins and related formulations having a viscosity too high for the current state-of-the-art.
Resins with different chemical composition and reactivities will be evaluated as well as the possibility to incorporate inorganic fillers/particles for the improvement of the abrasion resistance.
The starting monomers and oligomers will be selected based on their rheological properties before curing, mechanical properties after cross-linking and their origin. When possible, monomers and oligomers obtainable from renewable resources will be considered for their impact on materials sustainability.
Process parameters (printing conditions such as deposition speed, UV-Vis source energy, etc.) will be investigated and optimized in order to control the resolution of the 3D-structured surface pattern, the adhesion to the substrate and the ultimate properties (abrasion resistance and other).