PDRA: Iuliia S Elizarova
My research is concerned with additive manufacturing, mainly robocasting, of ceramic materials and composites, and exploring the capabilities of the technique in terms of versatility and applications. Robocasting produces parts by continuous extrusion of powder-based pastes in a layer-by-layer manner. Composition of such pastes is determinant to the quality of the printed parts, as well as it defines the resolution and complexity of the prints. The shear forces present in the nozzle during printing can be used to align the particles composing the inks if such particles are anisotropic in shape (fibres, platelets), which, in turn, allows for tailoring of mechanical properties of the created structures (fabrication of composites). On the other hand, fabrication of geometrically complex parts with presence of overhanging or free-standing features is a limitation of the technique (due to its layer-by-layer nature that requires supporting layers for the newly printed ones), which can also be aided with formulation of the pastes (ones that, for example, allow for post-printing shaping of the parts). Expansion of applicability of robocasting, whether it’s through development of the technique itself or stock materials, is, therefore, the aim of my research activities.