Digital light processing of sodium-beta-alumina ceramic electrolytes

Solid-state electrolyte structures using sodium-beta-alumina oxide ceramics, have been fabricated for the first time, using digital light processing; a vat photopolymerisation additive manufacturing process. Green bodies were shaped using a high solids loading ceramic resin of 46 vol.% (72 wt.%) and were then thermally binder removed and sintered. Conventionally sintered at 1580 °C for 5 min, additively manufactured electrolyte test samples exhibited an ionic conductivity of σ = 0.18 S·cm-1 at 300 °C, an activation energy of conduction Ea = 0.38 eV and density of ρ = 3.19 ± 0.01 g·cm-3 (relative density 98%) along with a retention of 91 wt.% of the desirable β’’ rhombohedral phase. Results suggest that digital light processing of sodium polyaluminates is a very promising approach for manufacturing geometrically complex monolithic ceramic electrolytes for future applications in electrochemical energy storage.