Additive manufacturing of functionally graded ceramic materials

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are materials of which the composition, microstructure or porosity gradually varies over the volume. This allows tailoring (combinations of) macroscopic properties to meet specific non-homogeneous service requirements that conventional homogeneous materials cannot accomplish. Additive manufacturing (AM) enables producing patient-specific implants with a customized geometry while optimizing energy and raw materials consumption. Moreover, AM offers the advantage of realizing 3D FGMs with a gradient in the axial as well as radial direction, which cannot be achieved by conventional processing. Within this project, we will establish the basic knowhow to realize gradient materials by AM. Focus will be on compositional graded alumina-zirconia for tough and ageing-resistant dental implants.