James Cook University (JCU) engineers have developed a 3D-printed bendable ceramic material that can withstand substantial flexing. The material can be flexed thousands of times before showing fatigue and has now caught the attention of aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The partnership will allow for stress testing of the ceramic material over the next year.
The ceramic material features a flexural strength of approximately 1.7 gigapascals and can withstand more than 10,000 loading cycles without breaking. According to JCU project lead Dr. Elsa Antunes, “Even if we applied 80 per cent of that maximum load, what we found is that after 10,000 cycles, the part did not break.” This performance surpasses conventional ceramic materials available on the market.
Traditional ceramics are valued in aerospace applications for their heat resistance but are typically prone to cracking due to brittleness. The JCU team’s design allows the ceramic compound to flex with aircraft surfaces such as wings, potentially reducing cracking risk during high-performance vehicle testing. The material can withstand extreme temperatures needed for aerospace applications.
The production process offers significant time advantages compared to traditional methods. “Bendable ceramic materials could be produced within just seven days compared to traditional composite ‘ceramic matrix’ materials which can take at least a month to fabricate,” Dr. Antunes noted. The 3D printing approach also enables the creation of complex structures with varying thicknesses.
As part of the project, the JCU team will 3D print ceramic parts that could potentially be used in aircraft for thermal management. These parts will undergo testing in extreme temperatures and forces to evaluate their resilience. The Queensland Defence Science Alliance is providing additional funding through their Collaborative Research Grants program.
Source: jcu.edu.au