3D printing of Portland cement using binder jetting systems

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM) in recent years has become a common method for creating detailed parts or models from 3D CAD data. The main applications of AM in the construction industry are dominated by Contour Crafting (CC) and Binder Jetting (BJ). Start writing your introduction here. This Project presents proof of the concept that Portland cement can be used as a material on a commercial binder jetting system 3d printer. The Zprinter 450 binder jetting 3D printer was used to print sixteen cement cylindrical specimens. The standard powder used on this 3d printer was replaced by Quick-Setting Cement material (Quikrete 1240). Cylindrical cement specimens were constructed using different layer thicknesses 0.0035 and 0.005 inches. Once the printing was completed, the specimens were cured in one of two solutions (water and alkaline solution) over two periods (14 and 28 days). Both printing and curing followed a replicated factorial experiment covering all possible combinations of the factors. Average values of the compressive strength and deviation from nominal height (DNH) were used as response variables. An examination of the first interaction plot indicates that maximum strength is obtained when the specimens were printed using the low level of layer thickness and cured in the alkaline solution. An examination of the second interaction plot reveals that changes in the layer thickness have a significant effect on the average deviation when the alkaline solution was used. While all measurements indicated an increase in the average height, the maximum deviation is observed when specimens were constructed using the low level of layer thickness and cured using the alkaline solution. This project proved that Portland cement can be 3d printed using a binder jetting system with and compressive strength around 14 MPa (2030.53 PSI). This Project has several potential applications in the construction industry. It may eliminate the need for traditional methods in restoration projects, where small tiles and sculptures need to be replaced. The method may be used to 3D print customized tiles with letter scripts like the house number plaque or the decorative calligraphy tiles found in Churches and Mosques.