4D insight into the defect evolution of additively manufactured ceramics during debinding and sintering

Defects emerging in the additive manufacturing process can substantially influence the mechanical properties of ceramics. The actual evolution of these defects during manufacturing has not been in-situ observed, making precise control over them a considerable challenge. This study marks the first observation of defect emergence and evolution during the debinding and sintering of vat photopolymerization (VP) additively manufactured ceramics, facilitated by a specially developed high-temperature in-situ computed tomography (CT) technique. Defects at various temperatures were visualized and underwent quantitative analysis. Their temperature-dependent characteristics, spatial distributions, and evolutionary dynamics of defects among the ceramic, were discussed in detail. This work offers a 4D insight into the defect evolution of VP additively manufactured Al₂O₃ ceramics during their debinding and sintering processes for the first time, which is expected to provide ideas for the precise control of defects and enhances the mechanical properties in the future.