As the AMA:Energy conference returns this week to focus on qualified parts, real-world deployment, and energy-sector constraints, ceramic additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly relevant to these discussions. At the AMA: Energy 2025, speakers highlighted the challenges of moving beyond prototyping toward certified components capable of operating in extreme environments.
In this context, Nanoe presented its approach to ceramic 3D printing using standard FDM equipment during a talk by Guillaume de Calan. The French advanced materials provider outlined how its Zetamix filament platform could enable complex, high-temperature ceramic components for applications including burners, heat exchangers, and nuclear energy research, areas likely to feature prominently at the next AMA:Energy conference.
Ceramic 3D printing using standard FDM equipment
Unlike many ceramic additive manufacturing systems that rely on dedicated hardware, Nanoe’s Zetamix process is designed to work with standard FDM printers commonly used for polymer printing. Printed parts are subsequently subjected to chemical and thermal debinding, followed by sintering to achieve dense ceramic components.
According to the company, this reliance on widely available equipment reduces capital investment requirements and lowers the barrier to entry for ceramic additive manufacturing, particularly in energy-related R&D and early-stage industrialization. The filament-based approach also enables access to a broad materials portfolio, including alumina, zirconia (white and black), silicon carbide, custom ceramics, and technical metals such as 316L, H13, and 17-4 PH, as well as porcelain.
The growing availability of high-performance ceramic and metal feedstocks was consistent with the emphasis on new materials seen across industrial additive manufacturing at Formnext 2025.
Why ceramics matter for energy systems
During the presentation, Nanoe emphasized that the appeal of ceramics in energy applications is driven primarily by material properties rather than additive manufacturing alone. High temperature resistance remains a defining advantage, with materials such as alumina, silicon carbide, and zirconia capable of operating at temperatures up to and beyond 1,500°C.
Beyond thermal stability, ceramics offer tunable thermal behavior, ranging from insulation to high thermal conductivity, alongside critical electrical properties. Alumina, for example, is widely used as an electrical insulator, while zirconia exhibits ion conductivity. Resistance to hot, humid, and corrosive environments further positions ceramics for use in demanding energy systems.
Burners, heat exchangers, and nuclear applications
One of the most established ceramic AM use cases discussed was burner components. Nanoe reported customer adoption of ceramic 3D printed burners for both traditional and emerging energy systems, where intricate internal channels for gas and oxygen flow are difficult or impossible to produce using conventional manufacturing. High temperature resistance and hydrogen compatibility were cited as key requirements.
In nuclear energy, the company described early-stage work on silicon carbide heat exchangers intended for advanced reactor concepts. These systems often rely on aggressive heat-transfer media such as molten salts or liquid sodium, placing strict requirements on both temperature resistance and corrosion performance.
Alongside this work, Nanoe has also been developing materials specifically for corrosive nuclear environments. In a separate project with Orano, the company introduced anti-corrosion materials for nuclear applications, reflecting a broader focus on material durability and qualification rather than process novelty alone.
More experimental applications include research into silicon carbide–encapsulated nuclear fuel concepts. While still confined to research environments, ceramic additive manufacturing could enable encapsulation geometries with integrated cooling channels, potentially improving safety and thermal performance.
Concentrated solar, e-fuels, and sensing components
Beyond nuclear, Nanoe pointed to applications in concentrated solar power and e-fuel production, where ceramic structures must withstand extreme temperatures while accommodating complex internal geometries. Ceramic components can also serve as substrates for catalytic coatings, such as cerium oxide, enabling integration of active materials directly onto printed parts.
The company also described ceramic AM use in high-temperature sensing and measurement devices. Examples include alumina flow sensors with multiple internal channels that must remain isolated, geometries that are difficult to realize through conventional ceramic processing.
Indirect but mature: ceramic AM for metal casting
While many energy applications remain at the prototype or qualification stage, Nanoe identified ceramic additive manufacturing for metal casting as one of the most mature and industrially established use cases. Ceramic cores, molds, and filters produced via AM are already used to support the production of high-performance cast metal components for energy and aerospace systems.
Although stereolithography remains common for some casting applications, filament-based ceramic printing is increasingly used for producing complex filters and tooling where design freedom outweighs surface finish constraints.
Qualification, scaling, and realistic timelines
Addressing audience questions, Nanoe acknowledged that ceramic additive manufacturing faces significant hurdles in scaling and qualification. Even without additive processes, ceramic production is sensitive to shrinkage, deformation, and defects, all of which are exacerbated in layer-by-layer manufacturing.
Post-processing was highlighted as a critical bottleneck. While printing may take hours, debinding can require one to two days depending on part thickness, followed by sintering cycles lasting several more hours. Achieving tight tolerances often requires multiple iterations, extending development timelines.
Qualification remains the dominant challenge for energy applications, particularly in nuclear, aerospace, and gas turbine environments. Drawing comparisons with metal additive manufacturing, Nanoe noted that lessons learned from the slow certification of metal AM components, especially in nuclear contexts, are directly applicable to ceramics.
Designing for new systems, not retrofits
Looking ahead, Nanoe suggested that the most viable path for ceramic additive manufacturing lies in new product development rather than retrofitting existing systems. In critical energy infrastructure, even modest performance gains rarely justify replacing proven components.
Instead, additive manufacturing is most effective when engineers can design from a blank page. New energy systems, pilot projects, and startup-led initiatives offer greater freedom to integrate ceramic AM into component architectures from the outset, avoiding the constraints of legacy designs.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
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