Powder bed 3D printing with geopolymers

Author(s): Vera Voney, Pietro Odaglia, Gnanli Landrou, Coralie Brumaud, Andrei Jipa, Isolda Agustí-Juan, Benjamin Dillenburger, Guillaume Habert
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Materials, Systems and Structures (SMSS2019) New Generation of Construction Materials
Editor(s): Marijana Serdar, Nina Štirmer, John Provis
ISBN: 978-2-35158-217-6,
Vol 1. ISBN: 978-2-35158-223-7
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-218-3
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2019
Pages: 549-556
Total Pages: 8
Language : English

Abstract: With digital fabrication, complex formworks for high performance concrete can be manufactured, which help to save material. The drawback of the current method is the organic binder, because it releases volatile organic compounds. Therefore, in this study, the organic binder is replaced with a geopolymer in a custom-built binder jet 3D printer. The geopolymer is printed in a selective binder activation approach: the sand bed of the printer contains a mix of metakaolin and silica sand, on which we print with a sodium silicate solution. In order to find the optimal settings of the printer, the immersion of silicate droplets into powder beds with different metakaolin contents was studied, to get an insight of the spreading of the liquid in the powder bed. The analysis of the weight and the size of the different droplets shows that the printing layer height can be adjusted by changing the metakaolin content in the powder, keeping the same geopolymer.

Online publication : 2019
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00