Everything You Need To Know About Silicon Nitride in 3D Printing

One of the strengths of additive manufacturing is its compatibility with a wide range of materials, from polymers to metals, including concrete and even food pastes. The technology is also increasingly being used with ceramics, especially in their technical variants. Ceramic 3D printing offers numerous advantages across various sectors. While zirconia and alumina are the most common on the market, another technical ceramic is increasingly in the spotlight: silicon nitride, a non-oxide ceramic that offers extremely interesting thermomechanical properties. But what are the properties of silicon nitride in 3D printing? Let’s take a closer look!

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) is produced by heating silicon powder in a nitrogen atmosphere. It is one of the hardest and most durable technical ceramics available on the market. With a low density, it exhibits good resistance to thermal shock as well as excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Silicon nitride can withstand very high heating followed by rapid cooling without cracking. It is therefore a particularly interesting ceramic for all brazing and welding applications.

3D-printed heat exchanger made with silicon nitride (Credit: 3DCeram)

How is silicon nitride used in 3D printing?

Like most technical ceramics on the market, silicon nitride comes in various forms, allowing the use of different 3D printing processes to design complex parts. First of all, material extrusion can be used—more specifically, a pellet-based 3D printer. As for filament usage, manufacturers are rarer, but some thermoplastics exist, such as those from Spectrum Filaments. According to their website, “the organic content of the filament is approximately 21.5%.”

Stereolithography offers greater possibilities: silicon nitride is available in resin form. This process enables higher detail and precision, while also aiming for high density. After printing, however, a post-processing phase is necessary: the part must be cleaned to remove excess resin, then cured to give the final properties and densify the ceramic. Among the machine manufacturers offering silicon nitride capabilities are the French company 3DCeram and Lithoz.

Finally, some research shows that Binder Jetting can also be used to produce parts with silicon nitride, although this practice still appears to be limited for now.

Credit: 3DCeram

Possible Applications