High-performance green binders for ink-jetting advanced additive manufacturing of metallic structures

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Binder jetting is an advanced additive manufacturing technique capable of 3D printing metallic structures. It**works by printing a binder formulation onto a bed of metal powder, allowing that layer to solidify and adding a**subsequent layer. Once the 3D part is formed, it is placed in a high-temperature oven to burn off the binder and**sinter the metal particles. Les Industries Sautech Inc. has developed a variant of binder jetting that allows for**the very rapid fabrication of 3D metallic structures (500 times faster than its competitors), but it is faced with**issues pertaining to the binders used. Specifically, the binders are non-renewable, and can have detrimental**effects on the environment and final product quality following burn-off. In collaboration with Polytechnique**Montreal, Sautech wishes to test new, bio-sourced binder formulations, namely chitosan and cellulose acetate.**Through this short-term Engage project, binder penetration into the powder beds will be assessed, along with**its drying properties, resulting tensile strength and thermal degradation properties (leading to a complete**sintering protocol). The completion of this project will help situate Canada as a leader in advanced additive**manufacturing, allowing Sautech to innovate and stay competitive in this evolving field.