Ceramics materials can be classified according to two main distinct groups: technical or advanced ceramics and traditional or silicate ceramics. Silicate ceramics are primarily composed of silica (SiO₂) and alumina (Al₂O₃), along with small amounts of other oxides, whereas technical ceramics can be composed with a wider range of elements including for example silicon carbide (SiC), aluminium nitride (AlN), or zirconia (ZrO₂). Technical ceramics often present remarkable properties such as high mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, or wear resistance. Therefore, they are used as critical components for specific applications in the fields of aerospace, automotive, energy production or cutting tools. Silicate ceramics usually present less efficient properties. However, they can be an advantageous alternative to technical ceramics in many applications operating at room or moderate temperature (<1300°C). Moreover, regarding the environmental aspect, silicate ceramics can be processed from natural mineral resources (clays such as kaolinite and talc, feldspath...) easily available in earth crust. They require moderate sintering temperatures, with a high recyclability, unlike technical ceramics.
One potential technical application is their use as components in clean energy systems such as catalyst substrates. Beyond the environmental and cost aspects which are attractive elements from an industrial point of view, the improvement of their efficiency depending on the targeted application must also be a focus point to promote their use in the industrial world. This can be achieved by manufacturing components with complex architectures and internal structures that cannot be achieved by processes other than additive manufacturing. With such advanced architectures, the exchange surface can be increased for the same volume using less material, for instance in filtration or catalysis applications.
This is the aim of the present study which is dedicated to the shaping method of cordierite powder by robocasting. This study deals with the formulation of a stable slurry of cordierite powder with a suitable viscosity for the robocasting process and with a sufficient solid content. The effects of 3D printing and sintering parameters on the printed parts regarding their final properties after firing such as density/porosity are also investigated in this research.