Creative Commons

This thesis goal was to demonstrate that indirect 3d printing of zeolite monoliths provides higher flexibility and freedom as a fabrication method, compared to conventional extrusion procedures. After considering application constrains and needs, sacrificial templates were designed through a Computer Aided Design (CAD) software enabling the precise control of channel’s shape and size. The monoliths, that are the exact negative replicas of the templates, are then evaluated in terms of hydraulic behavior and generated pressure drop through a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) study. After selection of the most efficient design, polymer molds were fabricated by a Digital Light Processing (DLP) printer and were filled with a paste consisting of ZSM 5 zeolite powder and sodium silicate that acts as a binder. A multistep drying process followed by sintering was carried out to burn out the polymer templates and remove the binder. The dimensional accuracy of the final parts was examined using a DinoLite digital optical microscope. Finally the mechanical properties of the produced material were investigated by preparing specimens and performing 3-point bending and microhardness test. The results indicate a potential usage of indirect 3d printing for catalysis procedures.