11/24/2023
By Danielle Fretwell

The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Plastics Engineering, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal defense by Olorunfemi Esan on "New processing methods and design approaches for ceramic-polymer multi-material additive manufacturing."

Candidate Name: Olorunfemi Esan
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Friday, Dec. 8, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: ETIC 245

Committee:

  • Advisor: Amy Peterson, Associate Professor, Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Christopher Hansen, Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Alireza Amirkhizi, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Jay Park, Assistant Professor, Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Brief Abstract:
The use of ceramics in industries including aerospace, electronics, energy, defense, and biotechnology has greatly increased, making it an essential component in many modern technologies. Ceramic structures can be formed (e.g., through injection molding) or additively manufactured (e.g., extrusion-based 3D printing). However, the fabrication of large-scale ceramic structures has been hindered by the time-consuming nature of the manufacturing process. In binder-based ceramic manufacturing, the binder is used as a processing aid, which must be removed through a debinding process to obtain the final part. Debinding techniques such as thermal debinding can become long, and energy intensive. Leveraging AM’s design flexibility, where different materials can be placed at specific locations with a structure’s volume, this challenge can be overcome. Thus, the overall goal of this PhD is to provide new insights into processing of large-scale ceramic structure and design approaches for multi-material AM, thereby expanding the range of material systems that can be fabricated while opening up new design possibilities. In pursuit of this goal, we propose three aims. Aim 1 focuses on integrating mass transport networks into ceramic structures to facilitate gas diffusion, enabling larger geometries and shorter debinding times. Aim 2 focuses on understanding how gradient particle size distributions can effectively bring the binder closer to the surface through capillary action. Aim 3 focuses on approaches that enable multi-material AM of ceramics and polymers. This research will generate new knowledge of ways to shorten binder removal times and identify designs and processes that are most promising for obtaining desirable combinations of properties in dissimilar materials (ceramic and polymer).