Progress in binder jet 3D printing of advanced ceramics: An insightful review

Binder jetting (BJ) is one of the most scalable additive manufacturing (AM) technologies with advantages such as: (i) high throughput, (ii) amenable to printing a wide variety of materials, viz. metals, polymers, ceramics & composites, and (iii) the ability to produce complex geometries without the need for support structures. In addition, BJ uses significantly less quantity of additives compared to other AM methods and has the flexibility of handling both dry and wet powder beds. This timely, in-depth review aims to provide a holistic powder-to-product excursion of binder jetting of ceramics, elaborating on various aspects such as powder/binder design, their desired characteristics, print parameter optimisation, and post-processing (binder removal and sintering). The progressive developments of BJ of advanced ceramics have been examined, critically analysed and evaluated from the perspectives of innovations in both printer and part manufacturing. The epilogue highlights the new directions for pushing the research boundaries of the BJ of advanced ceramics, a roadmap for emerging applications and the opportunities for industrial take-up.