CeraMix— Polymer Premix for Custom Slurry Development

CeraMix enables research teams and industrial R&D departments to develop ceramic slurries from their own powders without formulation of the complex polymer system from the beginning.

The premix combines reactive components, a photoinitiator and functional additives selected for blue-light vat photopolymerisation. It is suitable for powder screening, printability studies and in-house formulation development. The photoinitiator system can be adapted to the selected light source or omitted to allow internal optimisation.

Suitable for: powder screening, early-stage formulation development and printability assessment.

Technical specifications: 

• Viscosity: 250 mPa·s⁻¹
• Standard sensitivity: blue light (455 - 465 nm)

CeraAlu - Al2O3

An alumina (Al₂O₃)-based ceramic slurry designed for light-cured 3D printing of engineering ceramics. Alumina is one of the fundamental structural ceramic materials and is used primarily in applications requiring high hardness, abrasion resistance, thermal stability, and good electrical insulation properties.

The basic version of the CeraAlu suspension is prepared using commercial Almatis CT 3000 SG powder. This material system is suitable for producing prototype parts and test samples made of engineering ceramics. Depending on customer requirements, the type of ceramic powder used can be adjusted, the photoinitiation system can be adapted to a specific light source, or the suspension can be supplied without a photoinitiator to allow for in-house optimization of the printing process.

Technical parameters:

• Mass loading: 79 wt% (Volume loading approx. 49 vol. %)
• Shrinkage: ~17% (x, y); ~20% (z)
• Density after sintering (CT 3000 SG): 97–98.5% of t.d.
• Hardness: ~1400 HV

CeraBTO - BaTiO3

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) is a lead-free ferroelectric material used primarily in applications requiring dielectric, piezoelectric, or electromechanical properties. CeraBTO is suitable for the development and prototyping of ceramic components for capacitors, thermistors, actuators, sensors, and other piezoelectric devices.

The base formulation uses tetragonal BaTiO₃ powder with a primary particle size of approximately 280 nm, supplied by Nanografi. The suspension is designed for the preparation of printable ceramic structures followed by heat treatment, with the potential to achieve high relative density after sintering.

Depending on customer requirements, the type of powder used can be adjusted, the photoinitiation system can be adapted to a specific light source, or the suspension can be supplied without a photoinitiator. This allows for further fine-tuning of the formulation, printing parameters, and resulting material properties according to the specific application.

Technical parameters:

• Mass loading: 85 wt.% (volume loading: 47.5 vol.%)
• Shrinkage: 20% (x, y); 20% (z)
• Density after sintering: 98% of t.d. (1350°C)
• Grain size: XY μm (1350°C)
• D33 coefficient: 448 pC/N (1250°C)

CeraHAp - Ca5(PO4)3(OH)

The basic formulation uses Nanografi hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder (99.5%) and is suitable for preparing both porous and dense ceramic samples for research purposes, particularly in the fields of tissue engineering, cell culture, and the development of 3D ceramic scaffolds.

CeraHAp enables the preparation of dense test samples, porous structures, and model geometries followed by heat treatment. After sintering at the recommended temperature, the resulting phase composition consists of approximately 98% HA and 2% β-TCP.

The suspension is intended for research and development use. It is not certified as a medical device or for direct clinical use.

Technical parameters:

• Mass loading: 65 wt.% (volume loading: 53 vol.%)
• Shrinkage: ~ 26.5% (x,y); ~ 27% (z – layer printing direction)
• Density after sintering: > 95% t.d. (1250°C)
• Grain size: ~ 2 μm (1250°C)
• Compressive strength: > 25 MPa

CeraTCP - (β-Ca(PO3)2)

A β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)-based ceramic slurry designed for light-cured 3D printing of bioactive and resorbable ceramic structures. β-TCP is a calcium phosphate bioceramic used primarily in applications where higher material resorbability and the ability to be gradually replaced by newly formed bone tissue are required. CeraTCP is suitable for the preparation of porous scaffolds and dense test specimens for research and development purposes. The basic formulation is based on submicrometer β-TCP powder optimized for the preparation of a printable ceramic suspension. The powder used to prepare the suspension is not commercially available.

Depending on customer requirements, the type of powder used, the ceramic powder loading level, or the photoinitiation system can be adjusted for a specific light source. The suspension can also be supplied without a photoinitiator to allow for in-house optimization of the printing process.

It is not certified as a medical device or for direct clinical use.

Technical Parameters:

• Mass fraction of the base formulation: varies by variant, typically 55–65 wt.%
• Recommended sintering temperature: 1250 °C
• Relative density after sintering: depends on the formulation and geometry, approximately 74–84% of theoretical density

Multimaterial printing CeraHAp+CeraTCP

A material system based on hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate for the development of biphasic, blended, or multi-material bioceramic structures. The combination of HA and β-TCP makes it possible to combine the greater stability and strength of HA with the higher resorbability of β-TCP, which is particularly interesting for research into scaffolds, gradient structures, and model materials for bone tissue engineering.

This material system can be used to prepare both particulate and layered composite multi-material structures. It is particularly suitable for research teams seeking to study the influence of the HA/β-TCP ratio, porosity, architecture, and heat treatment on the resulting properties of bioceramic samples.

Development Options

• mixed HA/β-TCP suspensions in various ratios
• multimaterial printing of HA and β-TCP structures
• gyroid and porous scaffolds
• testing of shrinkage and compatibility of both phases
• design of transitional or gradient structures
• optimization of the interface between HA and β-TCP

Non-standard materials (under development)

In collaboration with our research partners, we are currently testing new ceramic suspensions based on AlN (alumina nitride), ZTA (zirconia-toughned alumina), and 3Y-TZP (3 mol.% yttrium-stabilized zirconia). These material systems are currently in the development and internal validation phase and are therefore not part of our standard product portfolio.

If you are interested in any of these formulations, we would be happy to discuss the current options, the status of development, and the suitability of the material for your application. We also offer the option of jointly developing a custom ceramic slurry tailored to your powder, desired geometry, printing technology, or intended use.

For more information, please contact us—we'd be happy to review your material requirements with you and suggest the next steps!