Rapid Fabrication of Eutectic Ceramic Structures by Laser Engineered Net Shaping

Rapid fabrication of dense ceramic structures with high-purity and complex geometry is of high demand, however, it is difficult to attain by traditional solid-phase sintering. In this paper, laser engineered net shaping system and Al2O3, Y2O3 powders were utilized to fabricate ceramic structures directly without doping any binders. Influences of laser power on shaping feature were investigated by experiments and optimal process parameters were successfully achieved. Net-shaped structures of thin-wall and hollow cylinder were attained with about 15 mm section sizes. Microstructure features and properties of fabricated specimens were studied by XRD, SEM and Vickers, respectively. The deposited ceramic shows almost 100% density and stable phases mainly consisting of α-Al2O3 and YAG. Microhardness is comparable to that of the product fabricated by laser zone surface melting method. The results of this research indicates that this new fabrication technique for ceramic has more flexibility compared to traditional solid-phase sintering process, and can be used for rapid fabricating of pure and complex ceramic structures.