Effect of solid loading and carbon additive on microstructure and mechanical properties of 3D‐printed SiC ceramic

Abstract 3D‐printed SiC ceramics were prepared by direct ink writing and solid‐phase sintering. The effects of sintering temperature, solid loading, and carbon additive on microstructures and mechanical properties of 3D‐printed SiC parts were investigated. It was found that the sintering temperature affected the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered SiC parts. A high solid loading promoted the densification and mechanical properties of the sintered SiC parts. However, the solid loading exceeded 40 vol.%, which decreased the density and mechanical properties of the samples. The carbon additives could improve the densification of the SiC parts and enhance their mechanical properties. When the sucrose content increased from 0 to 8 wt.%, the open porosity of the SiC part decreased from 26.12% to 3.15%, whereas the flexural strength increased 2.19 times. Using the optimized components and process parameters, the high‐performance 3D‐printed SiC parts were achieved.