Professor, Technology and Engineering Center of Space Utilization, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Biography: Professor Rui Dou achieved his PhD degree in materials science from the University of Manchester in 2011, and then worked for the University of Manchester and University of Birmingham as research fellow respectively. Now he continues his research in Chinese Science Academy. His research interests include 3D printing ceramics, polymeric ceramics, ceramic composites, metallic ceramics, multi-material 3D printing, cell printing and space additive manufacturing technologies.

Speech Title: Advances in ceramic additive manufacturing

Abstract: Additive manufacturing (rapid prototyping or 3D printing) techniques have demonstrated a great potential in space manufacturing for long-duration human spaceflight and colonization on alien stars. Here we describe design and manufacturing routes to previously inaccessible ceramic products made in microgravity environment or on the ground. Our scheme is based on the control of ceramic slurry fluid behavior in reduced gravity. The resulting ceramic paste demonstrate non-sensitive response to the gravity variations during the parabolic flight experiment. Additionally, the alumina samples fabricated in microgravity environment achieve high density with only 0.63% porosity according to results of the X-ray computed tomography (XCT) investigation. This additive manufacturing route may be applied to fabricate the ceramic parts with complicated structures in space, enable various possibilities of manufacturing structural and functional materials and products, including gradient materials, solid fuel cells, active insulation ceramic structures and piezoelectric sensors. Meanwhile, advances in ceramic additive manufacturing on the ground will also be introduced, for example, printing ploymer dirived ceramic, silicon carbide and ultra high temperature ceramics.

Keywords: Additive manufacturing; ceramic 3D printing; microgravity manufacturing