Polymer-derived ceramics route toward SiCN and SiBCN fibers: from chemistry of polycarbosilazanes to the design and characterization of ceramic fibers

Abstract

High-temperature ceramic materials gain a continuous growing interest due to the various properties they can offer. Among all their specific features, their outstanding thermal and mechanical stability attract much attention to save energy. In the category of ceramics, silicon-based non-oxide compositions display a great potential for many applications involving high temperatures, high stresses or harsh environments. Since the major binary silicon carbide and silicon nitride, which are currently used as highperformance ceramics, were discovered, the role of chemistry in the design of materials has become major. Its potential lies in the exploitation of new chemical systems and the development of new preparative routes. As a consequence, new ceramic properties can be envisioned. The polymer derived ceramic (PDC) route is a "ceramic through chemistry" concept which allows synthesizing new materials in terms of compositions and shapes difficult to tailor using more conventional approaches. This review highlights the works made in the last decades concerning the preparation of PDC fibers with a particular focus on amorphous SiCN and SiBCN networks using melt-spinning and electrospinning processes of preceramic polymers. One main emphasis of this review is set on addressing the intimate relationship between molecular structure/architecture of preceramic polymers, their spinning/ curing/pyrolysis behavior and the properties of the final fibers.

In-Situ Synthesis and Characterization of Nanocomposites in the Si-Ti-N and Si-Ti-C Systems

“…The latter offers the advantages for the in-situ synthesis of the ceramic nano-precipitates in a ceramic (possibility of different nature) matrix during the pyrolysis and annealing experiments. In addition, it allows processing materials in particular shapes and morphologies (dense or porous) that are difficult, or even impossible to obtain from conventional routes [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Molecular Chemistry and Engineering of Boron‐Modified Polyorganosilazanes as New Processable and Functional SiBCN Precursors

“…A very convenient precursor route to produce nonoxide ceramics is the polymer‐derived‐ceramic (PDC) route . This method is based on the design of a suitable and high‐purity synthetic precursor that provides a uniform chemical composition at the molecular scale.…”

Tape casting of preceramic polymers toward advanced ceramics: A review

“…Because of the possibility of controlling the cross‐linking degree, the type of bonds linking monomeric units and the nature of functional groups in PCPs, polymers with tailored rheological properties can be designed . This allows polymer shaping before curing to produce thin parts or complex architectures such as fibers, coatings, or dense monoliths . If the PDC route is coupled with a macroporous network design method, at the polymer level, a control of the porosity can be achieved at various length scales .…”

“…41,42 This allows polymer shaping before curing to produce thin parts or complex architectures such as fibers, coatings, or dense monoliths. [43][44][45] If the PDC route is coupled with a macroporous network design method, at the polymer level, a control of the porosity can be achieved at various length scales. [46][47][48][49][50] Last but not least, the chemical characteristics (elemental composition and polymer network structure), the physical properties, and the reactivity (thermal and chemical) of the precursors can be adjusted to obtain, after pyrolysis and optional annealing, ceramics with the desirable composition and phase distribution.…”