Advanced Ceramics from Preceramic Polymers Modified at the Nano-Scale: A Review

Abstract

Preceramic polymers, i.e., polymers that are converted into ceramics upon heat treatment, have been successfully used for almost 40 years to give advanced ceramics, especially belonging to the ternary SiCO and SiCN systems or to the quaternary SiBCN system. One of their main advantages is the possibility of combining the shaping and synthesis of ceramics: components can be shaped at the precursor stage by conventional plastic-forming techniques, such as spinning, blowing, injection molding, warm pressing and resin transfer molding, and then converted into ceramics by treatments typically above 800 °C. The extension of the approach to a wider range of ceramic compositions and applications, both structural and thermo-structural (refractory components, thermal barrier coatings) or functional (bioactive ceramics, luminescent materials), mainly relies on modifications of the polymers at the nano-scale, i.e., on the introduction of nano-sized fillers and/or chemical additives, leading to nano-structured ceramic components upon thermal conversion. Fillers and additives may react with the main ceramic residue of the polymer, leading to ceramics of significant engineering interest (such as silicates and SiAlONs), or cause the formation of secondary phases, significantly affecting the functionalities of the polymer-derived matrix.

3D printed porous β-Ca2SiO4scaffolds derived from preceramic resin and their physicochemical and biological properties

“…The active fillers play an important role in maintaining size or structure and participating in a reaction with preceramic polymers or atmosphere. Silicone resins are widely used as preceramic polymers and the resins can provide an amorphous silica-rich solid residue with the form of SiOC over 800 °C [4]. Thus, a common strategy is that oxide fillers react with the decomposition products of preceramic polymers to produce the desired ceramics.…”

Thermal stability and electrical conductivity of carbon-enriched silicon oxycarbide

“…1,2 In the SiOC structure, SiO x C 4Àx units are believed to form a fractal network, in which oxygen and some of the carbon atoms are bonded randomly to silicon in a threedimensional covalent structure, forming SiO 4 , CSiO 3 , C 2 SiO 2 , C 3 SiO, and C 4 Si. 3 It is generally assumed that carbon and oxygen cannot bond to each other.…”

Yttrium silicate and oxonitridosilicate luminescent materials from a silicone resin and nano-sized fillers

“…The present paper aims at evidencing the potential of silicones for the preparation of luminescent powders, for applications in modern LED devices, object of limited preliminary studies [2][3][4]. In particular, this work is focused on Eu-and Ce-doped yttrium silicate and oxonitridosilicate (Y-Si-O-N) ceramics with apatite crystal structure.…”

“…Silicone resins, filled with micro-or nano-sized oxide particles, have been recently introduced as precursors for many types of advanced silicate ceramics [1,2]. Besides evident shaping advantages (silicones may be easily shaped using plastic forming technologies, before ceramic conversion), this novel method allows for very favorable reaction kinetics and significant phase purity of the final ceramics.…”