Session: 03-03-03: Annual Congress-Wide Symposium on Additive Manufacturing III

Paper Number: 172815

Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics Using Pre-Ceramic Polymers 

With the rising demand for advanced materials capable of operating in extreme environments, the development of ceramic components with exceptional corrosion resistance, thermal stability, and reliable mechanical properties has become increasingly critical. Industries such as aerospace, defense, energy, and advanced manufacturing are continually seeking materials that can withstand high temperatures, intense pressures, and chemically aggressive conditions without degradation or failure. As a result, the global interest in high-performance ceramics has grown sharply, driven by the need to ensure the safety, efficiency, and longevity of next-generation systems and structures.

However, traditional methods used to fabricate ceramic components pose significant challenges. Conventional ceramic processing typically involves high-temperature sintering or hot pressing, which not only requires substantial energy input but also limits the ability to produce complex geometries and intricate internal features. Additionally, these processes often struggle to accommodate the fabrication of multi-material composites or functionally graded structures, which are increasingly desired for advanced engineering applications.

Polymer-Derived Ceramics (PDCs) offer a transformative alternative. Unlike traditional ceramics that are formed directly from inorganic powders, PDCs begin as preceramic polymers—specialized polymeric precursors that can be shaped using standard polymer processing techniques and subsequently converted into ceramics through controlled heat treatment (pyrolysis). This polymer-to-ceramic conversion enables the formation of a wide range of silicon-based ceramics, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), as well as non-silicon-based ceramics like boron carbide or alumina-containing systems. Due to their initial polymeric nature, PDCs can be processed at relatively low temperatures into green bodies with complex geometries, which are then transformed into dense, robust ceramic components through pyrolysis.

A particularly exciting advantage of PDCs is their compatibility with additive manufacturing (AM) technologies. By leveraging AM techniques, including direct ink writing, stereolithography, digital light processing, and even extrusion-based methods, polymeric precursors can be precisely deposited layer by layer to create intricate structures that would be nearly impossible to achieve using conventional ceramic forming processes. These approaches significantly lower manufacturing temperatures and costs, expand design freedom, and enable the integration of multifunctional features within a single component. Additionally, the diverse chemistry of available preceramic polymers provides flexibility in tailoring the final ceramic composition to meet specific thermal, electrical, or mechanical property requirements.

In this talk, we will present our recent efforts in the additive manufacturing of multifunctional ceramic components using PDC technology. We will explore how these approaches facilitate the creation of advanced ceramics with complex architectures, embedded functionalities, and tailored microstructures, all while maintaining high performance under extreme operating conditions. Furthermore, we will discuss the significant potential of these PDC-derived ceramic structures in aerospace applications, where lightweight, thermally stable, and corrosion-resistant materials are indispensable for next-generation propulsion systems, thermal protection structures, and advanced sensor platforms.

Presenting Author: Wei Wei Michigan Technological University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Wei joined the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as an Associate Professor in August 2024. Prior to joining Michigan Tech, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Wichita State University. She received her PhD in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MTU in 2017. Her research interests include designing and synthesizing the advanced materials, additive manufacturing, renewable energy conversion devices, photocatalytic processes for H2 generation, and mechanical properties of composite materials.

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