Lithoz and ORNL partner to process non-oxide ceramics for high temperature applications
December 6, 2023
Lithoz GmbH, located in Vienna, Austria, has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee. The collaboration will explore high-temperature ceramics processing via the use of Lithoz’s Additive Manufacturing technology to advance the processing and manufacturing of non-oxide ceramics.
Based on Laser-Induced Slipcasting (LIS) technology, the Lithoz AM machine uses laser slurry drying, or net shaping, technology to guide computer-controlled light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation to desiccate liquid-suspended controlled layers of solids. The aim of the cooperative agreement is further develop this technology to shape non-oxide ceramics with high-refractive indexes, such as silicon carbide, for use in extreme temperature applications.
Lithoz’s LIS technology can reportedly produce parts with more complex geometries and larger scales than traditional moulding techniques allow. By incorporating intricate inner channels and complex designs, the parts it can produce are lighter and more efficient when compared with current methods. This technology is also capable of increasing the range of materials that can be used by processing dark ceramics, such as silicon carbide and silicon nitride, in a way that is unachievable with other processes.
“This project will build on ORNL’s years of research in developing and testing high-temperature materials and ceramics,” stated Corson Cramer, Extreme Environment Materials Processing Group staff scientist at ORNL. “By combining our expertise with Lithoz 3D printing capabilities, we have the potential to change the concept of high-temperature ceramics processing for heat exchange, aerospace and defence applications.”
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