Volumetric additive manufacturing of glass

Volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) is an emerging approach for the rapid fabrication of complex structures. This work investigates the application of VAM to silica glass, exploring the feasibility of producing materials with tuneable refractive indices using a photocurable resin system. Key printing parameters, including radiation intensity and printing velocity, were systematically varied to assess their influence on print quality. The role of resin formulation was also examined to evaluate its effect on the resulting material. Pure silica glass was first successfully printed, and post-processing procedures, including cleaning, debinding, and sintering, were optimised. Particular attention was dedicated to the study and optimisation of heat treatment profiles to achieve transparent and defect-free glass. Subsequently, the work was extended to explore the fabrication of multicomponent glasses with tailored refractive indices.