Selection of Soluble Component and Solvent in Feedstock Development for Material Extrusion of Aluminium

The development of aluminium (Al) feedstocks for the Metal Material Extrusion (MMEX) process has garnered significant attention due to the growing demand for lightweight and sustainable manufacturing solutions. Achieving optimal feedstock formulations is essential to ensure printability, mechanical performance, and efficient post-processing. Given the relatively low sintering temperatures of Al alloys, which are close to the degradation temperatures of common polymeric binders, the thermal stability of binder components becomes a crucial factor. This study investigates the development of binder systems that optimize extrusion quality and explores the use of less hazardous solvents, such as acetone, for solvent debinding. A comprehensive evaluation of thermal properties (via DSC and TGA), rheological behaviour, contact angle measurements, printability and solvent debinding performance was conducted to identify suitable thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) binders and solvents. The findings reveal that while acetone can be employed as a solvent, achieving sufficient solubility for most TPEs in acetone remains a significant challenge.