High Performance Dental Zirconia Ceramics Fabricated by Vat Photopolymerization Based on Aqueous Suspension

Currently, a significant challenge in the fabrication of ceramic dental prostheses via vat photopolymerization lies in the utilization of slurries composed of organic monomers, which compromises environmental sustainability and impedes commercial viability. In this research, we successfully develop a low-viscosity aqueous zirconia ceramic suspension with a solid loading of 40 vol% and 20 vol% deionized waters, incorporating 3 wt% dispersant and 0.5 wt% photoinitiator for printing dental crowns using vat photopolymerization. The resulting green bodies require only water washing to remove unreacted material. The printed ceramics demonstrate an average flexural strength of 708 MPa, a relative density of 98.3 %, and a Vickers hardness of 14.7 GPa. A dental crown is ultimately fabricated with an accuracy of 92.8 %. This study demonstrates that zirconia ceramics fabricated by vat photopolymerization with aqueous suspension exhibit excellent mechanical properties and accuracy, highlighting their potential for broad applications in dental restorations through an environmentally sustainable approach.