Control of electromechanical performance in 3D printing lattice-structured BaTiO ₃ piezoelectric ceramics

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) piezoelectric ceramics with triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) structure have been frequently used in filters, engines, artificial bones, and other fields due to their high specific surface area, high thermal stability, and good heat dissipation. However, only a limited amount of studies have analyzed the effect of various parameters such as different wall thicknesses and porosities of TPMS structures on the ceramic electromechanical performance. In this study, we first employed Vat photopolymerization (VPP) 3D printing technology to fabricate high-performance BaTiO₃ ceramics. We investigated the slurry composition design and forming process, and designed a stepwise sintering post-processing technique to achieve a density of 96.3% and a compressive strength of 250 ± 25 MPa, with the piezoelectric coefficient (d₃₃) reaching 263 pC/N. Subsequently, we explored the influence of three TPMS structures, namely Diamond, Gyroid, and Schwarz P, on the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of the BaTiO₃ ceramics, with the Gyroid structure identified as exhibiting optimal performance. Finally, we examined the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of Gyroid structure BaTiO₃ ceramics with varying wall thicknesses and porosities, thus enabling the modulation of ceramic electromechanical performance.