A Closer Look at 3D Printing Materials: Ceramics and Organic Material

Over the years, additive manufacturing has grown exponentially. And currently there are many different 3D printing technologies that allow objects to be built depositing of layers one by one. At first, printing materials were scarce, but gradually and through research and development, it has been possible to expand the number and types of materials. The best known are certainly the polymers – PLA, ABS, resins, nylon and so on – and metals. However, today we want to draw your attention to about two lesser known but increasingly important material groups: ceramics and organic materials.

Ceramics

Ceramics

When we talk about ceramics, we often think of the more traditional ones like clay or porcelain. However, there are also more technical ceramics for advanced applications. Currently, there are two main groups of technical ceramics on the market today: oxides and non-oxides. The first group includes the metal oxides alumina, zirconia and silica, and the second group consists of materials such as silicon carbide, silicon boride or silicon nitride. The use of these materials is ideal for parts that require high temperature and wear resistance. A ceramic 3D printer can use different manufacturing processes, from powder bonding to stereolithography to extrusion. You can learn more about the different ceramic 3D printers on the market in our listing.

Sand

Sand could also be considered to fall under the ceramic umbrella. It is used to create complex parts that take advantage of the benefits of additive manufacturing, primarily for the manufacture of foundry molds. The use of this material reduces waste, saves energy and the manufacturing time is much shorter than other techniques. It can be used for mass production of finished products or for prototyping, with machines like ExOne’s S-Max Flex. In the video below, you can see an example where Sandhelden uses sand to create bathroom collections.