Low temperature processing of solution-derived ceria deposits on flat surfaces of 3D-printed polyamide

Abstract

Doped ceria deposits have been prepared on 3D-printed polyamide-12 components starting from inkjet-compatible solutions in an attempt to functionalize the surface of the plastic part, followed by a low temperature decomposition process at 160°C in air. The non-continuous deposits were characterized by simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and evolved gas analysis, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. After thermal treatment, the deposits are still clearly visible at the surface of the polymer. However, no crystallinity of the ceria is observed, in contrast to identical low temperature processing on inert substrates such as glass where nanoparticle ceria aggregates were produced. This is tentatively explained by the chemically-reducing character of the polyamide, and in particular to CO and hydrocarbon gases released during the heating process, which would continuously induce the reduction of Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ at the low temperature of 160°C, influencing the non-detection of crystalline ceria.

Robocasting of 3D printed and sintered ceria scaffold structures with hierarchical porosity for solar thermochemical fuel production from the splitting of CO2

“…28,29 Solid 20 mol% Sm-doped ceria pellets were produced by 3D direct writing from a paraffin based slurry for solid oxide fuel cell applications (and then sintered at only 700 °C) in 2019, 30 a 10 mol% ceria-stabilised-zirconia and alumina composite biomaterial was robocast from a hydrogel in 2017, 31 and the 3D printing by stereo lithography of Al 2 O 3 with 12 mol% CeO 2 –ZrO 2 (Zr 4+ : Ce 4+ = molar ratio of 88 : 12) was reported in 2020. 32 The only reports of similar porous ceria structures are those made by the replication method on extruded polymer supports for CSP applications in 2019, 33 and 3D printed polymer scaffolds in 2021, 34 ceria coated on 3D printed polymer supports/structures/scaffolds, 35,36 CuO/CeO 2 catalysts coated on 3D printed polymer scaffolds, 37 Ni/CeO 2 –ZrO 2 powder deposited on 3D printed stainless-steel honeycomb monoliths, 38 CeO 2 –ZrO 2 –La 2 O 3 nanopowder catalysts supported on robocast graphene oxide scaffolds, 39 3D printed ceria/silica microsphere/boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)) particle-stabilised foams by moulding and direct ink writing, 40 and robocast ceria coated with a nickel catalyst. 41 All such 3D printed ceramics need to be sintered after manufacture to produce the ceria ceramic, particularly if destined for high temperature use – in nearly all of the cases above, the ceria was used unsintered as a catalyst.…”