Additive Manufacturing of Energy Devices: Printing the Microstructure

CFM Seminars

Speaker

Juan Carlos Pérez Flores
ETS Ingeniería Industrial de Albacete

When

2026/10/23
11:00

Place

CFM Auditorium

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Additive manufacturing (AM) is opening new avenues for the design and fabrication of electrochemical energy devices by enabling unprecedented control over not only material composition, but also geometry, architecture as well as microstructure. Among the different AM technologies, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) stands out as a particularly versatile and accessible platform, with the ability to process highly ceramic-loaded composite feedstocks. This presentation will explore the potential of FFF as an enabling technology for the development of advanced ceramic components for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

For LiBs applications, particular emphasis will be placed on the use of 3D printing to engineer electrodes with tailored three-dimensional architectures and geometrical configurations. Such architectures provide new opportunities to increase the electrochemically active surface area, optimize ionic and electronic transport pathways, and minimize the fraction of electrochemically inactive components. Beyond the potential geometrical freedom, the presentation will address the intrinsic impact of the extrusion-based printing process on the resulting material microstructure, including the development of anisotropy, pore structure, and permeability.

The same process–structure–property framework will then be extended to the FFF-based fabrication of ceramic electrolytes and SOFC components. Particular attention will be provided to the critical technological challenges associated with achieving highly dense structures, integrating dissimilar ceramic materials, enabling multimaterial manufacturing, and ensuring dimensional and chemical compatibility throughout debinding and sintering.

Overall, the talk will show how FFF can evolve from a shaping technique into a crucial design tool for the development of electrochemical devices, enabling the simultaneous optimization of material, microstructure, and architecture to enhance their functionality and performance.