Additive manufacturing of polymer-derived ceramics

Abstract

The extremely highmelting point ofmany ceramics adds challenges to additivemanufacturing as compared with metals and polymers. Because ceramics cannot be cast or machined easily, three-dimensional (3D) printing enables a big leap in geometrical flexibility.We report preceramic monomers that are cured with ultraviolet light in a stereolithography 3D printer or through a patterned mask, forming 3D polymer structures that can have complex shape and cellular architecture.These polymer structures can be pyrolyzed to a ceramicwith uniformshrinkage and virtually no porosity. Silicon oxycarbidemicrolattice and honeycomb cellularmaterials fabricated with this approach exhibit higher strength than ceramic foams of similar density. Additive manufacturing of such materials is of interest for propulsion components, thermal protection systems, porous burners, microelectromechanical systems, and electronic device packaging.