America’s hypersonic missiles and aircraft may soon incorporate 3D-printed dark ceramics capable of withstanding extreme conditions.
Researchers at the Purdue Applied Research Institute (PARI) are exploring the use of additive manufacturing to create dark ceramics, which are ideal for hypersonic vehicles due to their durability and increased resistance to degradation.
Using digital light processing (DLP) 3D printers, the team can reportedly produce dark ceramics in precise shapes and sizes, with high-resolution surfaces.
“This allows you to produce intricate designs and geometries with very smooth surfaces and with a level of precision at the micron level,” project lead Rodney Trice stated.
“Through this process, we have succeeded in printing a variety of shapes, such as sharp cones and hemispheres, which are used to build a hypersonic vehicle,” he added.
This is not the first instance of the US exploring additive manufacturing for hypersonic technologies. In May 2024, the Pentagon contracted Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop a 3D-printed hypersonic propulsion prototype.
Potential Challenges
While dark ceramics are ideal for hypersonic systems due to their high resistance to extreme conditions, their color presents a challenge for DLP-based 3D printing.
The dark pigments absorb UV light, which is necessary for curing the material, as the light hinders the process and extends production times.
“Because dark powders absorb the UV light … we cannot form as thick of a layer. Therefore, we get cure depths that are too thin, which then negatively impacts the time it takes to build each part,” Trice noted.
To overcome this challenge, the team plans to collaborate with experts on exploring resin systems, surface treatments, and other innovative approaches.
These solutions would help the researchers eliminate issues during the post-processing phase of the project.
