3D printing of high density barium titanate structures

Inks for the fabrication of ceramic materials by 3D printing typically contain organic compounds that bind the ceramic particles together. However, the removal of the organic material within the printed objects induces a high porosity which causes a deterioration of the physical properties of the final structures.

Herein, a new approach is presented, which is based on the utilization of sol–gel reaction for synthesis of an inorganic binder that is of the same material composing the dispersed ceramic particles. The approach is demonstrated in printing objects composed of barium titanate (BTO), which is an important dielectric and piezoelectric material. The BTO binder enables us to achieve dispersions with high solid load and rheological behavior that suits the Direct Ink Writing (DIW) printing technology. The as‐printed parts contain only 1 wt% organic materials, and having 97.8% of the theoretical density of BTO after sintering.