Muhammad Irfan Nuryanta, Muhammad Afif Nurhary, Hendrix Noviyanto Firmansyah, Dicke Joshua, Makbul Hajad, Rahmat Doni Widodo, Teguh Dwi Widodo, Muhammad Kusni, Ardi Wiranata, Arif Kusumawanto, Muhammad Akhsin Muflikhun
Clay 3D printing is an emerging field within additive manufacturing that presents significant opportunities for both structural and artistic applications. Driven by the increasing interest in this technology, there is a growing demand for optimized printing protocols tailored to clay, a readily available and versatile material. This study investigates the optimal processing parameters for kaolin clay composites and assesses the influence of clay-to-water ratios on the physical and mechanical properties of printed specimens. Experimental results demonstrate that higher clay content enhances the dimensional stability and structural integrity of printed components. The optimal formulation was determined to be 60% clay and 40% water, which produced the highest mechanical performance: the flexural strength of sintered specimens reached 1.3125 MPa and the compressive strength attained a maximum of 6.14 MPa. Shrinkage analysis indicated that specimens with greater water content experienced increased volumetric shrinkage, with reductions of up to 10% in linear dimensions and 14% in mass during drying and sintering. These findings highlight the critical relationship between material composition and final part performance in clay 3D printing and provide guidance for optimizing material formulations to enhance the mechanical robustness of printed clay composite structures for diverse applications. © 2025 by the authors.
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, 50229, Indonesia; Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Mechanical Engineering Department, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FTMD), Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia; Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Center for Energy Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia
