Our website is currently undergoing maintenance. Article records and full texts remain available. Submissions can be made through the Editorial Manager.

Porous Geopolymer Components through Inverse Replica of 3D Printed Sacrificial Templates

G. Franchin, P. Colombo, P. Colombo

Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology, Vol. 6, No. 2 (2015), pp. 105-112

DOI: 10.4416/JCST2014-00057

Download full article (PDF)

Abstract

Geopolymeric components with high controlled porosity were designed and produced by means of CAD/CAM and FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) techniques. PLA sacrificial structures with different patterns were 3D printed with high accuracy and a geopolymeric slurry was used to produce close inverse replicas by means of impregnation in vacuum conditions and subsequent geopolymerization reaction and template removal in a combined chemical and thermal treatment. The FDM-manufactured sacrificial structures replicated the computationally designed porosity to be obtained in the final geopolymer components in terms of total porosity, average pore size and pore architecture. Geopolymer features were not affected by the fabrication route, and the process resulted in highly porous geopolymeric components with well-defined interconnected channels designed at both the macro- and microscopic scale. The specific surface area of the samples was ∼ 23 m2/g. The total porosity of the samples ranged from ∼ 66 to ∼ 71 vol%, given both by the designed geometrical macroporosity and by the inherent chemical micro- and meso-porosity of the geopolymer.

Keywords

Geopolymers, solid freeform fabrication, fused deposition modeling, inverse replica, 3D printing

View this issue · Article & DOI index