Event
MSE Seminar: Dr. Russell A. Maier, NIST
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
3:30 p.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Sherri Tatum
301-405-5240
statum12@umd.edu
From Standards to Synthesis: Metrology Innovations in Ceramic Additive Manufacturing
Abstract: Advancing scientific progress in ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) requires coordinated efforts on multiple fronts, including fundamental improvements in reliability and reproducibility of printing processes, breakthrough innovations in debinding and sintering efficiency, and the discovery of novel material compositions that enhance properties and device performance. As industrial implementation of ceramic AM accelerates, addressing these challenges becomes increasingly critical for broader industry adoption of this emerging technology. The ceramic AM focus area in the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory has established dedicated research projects targeting each of these challenges through rigorous measurement science (metrology) and standards development. This seminar will showcase recent advances from these projects, highlighting innovative approaches to process control, novel characterization methodologies, and emerging applications that demonstrate the impact of measurement-driven research on the future of ceramic manufacturing.
The seminar will feature recent accomplishments across several key research areas related to advanced ceramic processing. In vat-photopolymerization of Al₂O₃, significant advances in process understanding and optimization will be discussed. The development of rheological material standards specifically designed for ceramic 3D printing addresses a critical gap in quality control and process reproducibility. Progress in low-temperature ceramic processing through innovative cold-sintering techniques offers new pathways for energy-efficient manufacturing. Additionally, the integration of in situ synchrotron measurements has enabled unprecedented real-time characterization of both dense suspension rheology during printing and phase/pore evolution during cold-sintering. Finally, groundbreaking discoveries in redox-driven eutectoid synthesis have unlocked new synthesis routes to ceramic nanocomposites with tailored microstructures and enhanced properties. Together, these advances demonstrate the breadth of measurement science innovations driving the future of advanced ceramic manufacturing.
Bio: Russell Maier is a materials research scientist in the materials measurement laboratory (MML) at NIST, Gaithersburg. He completed his Ph.D. in materials science with a focus on point defects in perovskites at Penn State University in Clive Randall’s group in 2014. He was awarded a two-year NRC postdoc at NIST in the material measurement science division (MMSD), and he has been a staff scientist in the materials structure and data group 643.08 since 2016. His current research is focused on ceramic additive manufacturing (AM), and current projects include metrology of feedstock properties/rheology for printable ceramic pastes and development of in situ measurements of cold-sintering and ceramic 3D printing processes.
