High‐Precision and High‐Strength Ceramic Micro‐Lattice via Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing

ABSTRACT

Vat photopolymerization enables complex ceramic structures but struggles with precision and mechanical properties. Here, highly reactive ∼150 nm Al ₂ O ₃ nanopowder with carbon black additive was used to fabricate high‐strength ceramic micro‐lattices. Carbon black reduced light scattering, improving manufacturing precision and achieving ∼14 µm resolution with high shape fidelity. Sintering kinetics were investigated to correlate temperature with relative density and compressive strength of gyroid lattices. Systematic analysis of macro‐/microstructural evolution during sintering revealed that thermal radiation scattering by the highly reactive powder induces an asynchronous sintering between the interior and exterior surfaces, which delays full densification and shifts the peak mechanical performance to a higher temperature. Ultimately, I‐WP micro‐lattices with ∼ 44 µm wall thickness achieved a compressive strength of 103.7 ± 5.31 MPa. By demonstrating outstanding precision, mechanical performance, fine feature size, and small unit cell scale, this work establishes a benchmark for microscale additive manufacturing of ceramic structures, offering insights into both processing optimization and densification mechanisms.