“Using paper clay to produce 3D-printed ceramic lighting units”

- Ceramic bodies properties vary through different compositions and additives, cellulose fibers can be added to make paper clay bodies, which are characterized by high green strength, lightweight, forming large size with less thickness, the ability to absorb water which accelerates the clay drying, the ability to stand twisting and pressure, homogeneity with shape and particle size of the ceramic body, and withstanding rapid changes in firing temperature which reduces the firing time and saves energy.

- All these possibilities of paper clay open horizons for production techniques and formation methods in different ceramic fields such as additive manufacturing technologies especially ceramic 3D printing (extrusion-based).

- Ceramic 3D printing (extrusion-based) is considered one of the preferred techniques thanks to its easy use without wasting the material, and good ability to adapt to different ceramic materials as long as their composition, preparation, and operation methods are modified to fit this technology, which eliminates barriers in front of the design.

- Therefore, the research tries to combine ceramic 3D printing extrusion-based and paper clay due to their advantages like the ability of paper clay to build large sizes which is one of the difficulties facing ceramic 3D printing during building layers, and the green strength and drying speed of paper clay are the basic requirements for the ceramic pieces safety 3D printing, paper clay can withstand pressure and twisting which allows better designs, and other possibilities that are essential in building with ceramic 3D printing.

- The lighting units were chosen as a functional product for implementation due to the basic requirements in the lighting units such as the lighting distribution, lighting intensity, small thickness which reduces the weight so that they can be hung, suitability to the environment, and other requirements that can be provided through ceramic 3D printing with paper clay.