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Article

Optimization of Kaolin Clay Composition for Enhanced Mechanical Properties in 3D-Printed Structures

by
Muhammad Irfan Nuryanta
1,2,†,
Muhammad Afif Nurhary
1,†,
Hendrix Noviyanto Firmansyah
1,2,
Dicke Joshua
1,
Makbul Hajad
3,
Rahmat Doni Widodo
2,
Teguh Dwi Widodo
4,
Muhammad Kusni
5,
Ardi Wiranata
1,
Arif Kusumawanto
6 and
Muhammad Akhsin Muflikhun
1,7,*
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang 50229, Indonesia
3
Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
4
Mechanical Engineering Department, Brawijaya University, Malang 65145, Indonesia
5
Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FTMD), Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
6
Department of Architecture and Planning, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
7
Center for Energy Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Constr. Mater. 2025, 5(4), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5040083
Submission received: 14 October 2025 / Revised: 6 November 2025 / Accepted: 20 November 2025 / Published: 24 November 2025
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Abstract

Clay 3D printing is an emerging field within additive manufacturing that presents significant opportunities for both structural and artistic applications. Driven by the increasing interest in this technology, there is a growing demand for optimized printing protocols tailored to clay, a readily available and versatile material. This study investigates the optimal processing parameters for kaolin clay composites and assesses the influence of clay-to-water ratios on the physical and mechanical properties of printed specimens. Experimental results demonstrate that higher clay content enhances the dimensional stability and structural integrity of printed components. The optimal formulation was determined to be 60% clay and 40% water, which produced the highest mechanical performance: the flexural strength of sintered specimens reached 1.3125 MPa and the compressive strength attained a maximum of 6.14 MPa. Shrinkage analysis indicated that specimens with greater water content experienced increased volumetric shrinkage, with reductions of up to 10% in linear dimensions and 14% in mass during drying and sintering. These findings highlight the critical relationship between material composition and final part performance in clay 3D printing and provide guidance for optimizing material formulations to enhance the mechanical robustness of printed clay composite structures for diverse applications.
Keywords: kaolin clay; 3D printing; mechanical properties; shrinkage kaolin clay; 3D printing; mechanical properties; shrinkage

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Nuryanta, M.I.; Nurhary, M.A.; Firmansyah, H.N.; Joshua, D.; Hajad, M.; Widodo, R.D.; Widodo, T.D.; Kusni, M.; Wiranata, A.; Kusumawanto, A.; et al. Optimization of Kaolin Clay Composition for Enhanced Mechanical Properties in 3D-Printed Structures. Constr. Mater. 2025, 5, 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5040083

AMA Style

Nuryanta MI, Nurhary MA, Firmansyah HN, Joshua D, Hajad M, Widodo RD, Widodo TD, Kusni M, Wiranata A, Kusumawanto A, et al. Optimization of Kaolin Clay Composition for Enhanced Mechanical Properties in 3D-Printed Structures. Construction Materials. 2025; 5(4):83. https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5040083

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuryanta, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Afif Nurhary, Hendrix Noviyanto Firmansyah, Dicke Joshua, Makbul Hajad, Rahmat Doni Widodo, Teguh Dwi Widodo, Muhammad Kusni, Ardi Wiranata, Arif Kusumawanto, and et al. 2025. "Optimization of Kaolin Clay Composition for Enhanced Mechanical Properties in 3D-Printed Structures" Construction Materials 5, no. 4: 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5040083

APA Style

Nuryanta, M. I., Nurhary, M. A., Firmansyah, H. N., Joshua, D., Hajad, M., Widodo, R. D., Widodo, T. D., Kusni, M., Wiranata, A., Kusumawanto, A., & Muflikhun, M. A. (2025). Optimization of Kaolin Clay Composition for Enhanced Mechanical Properties in 3D-Printed Structures. Construction Materials, 5(4), 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/constrmater5040083

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