3D printing boehmite gel foams into lightweight porous ceramics with hierarchical pore structure. Issue 3 (March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Xiaoyan; Huo, Wenlong; Liu, Jingjing; Zhang, Youfei; Zhang, Shuhao; Yang, Jinlong
• Is Part Of: Journal of the European Ceramic Society. Volume 40:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 930
• Page End: 934
• Publication Date: 2020-03
• Subjects: Boehmite gel foams -- 3D printing -- Porous ceramic -- Hierarchical pore structure -- Specific surface area; Ceramic materials -- Periodicals; Composite materials -- Periodicals; Matériaux céramiques -- Périodiques; Composites -- Périodiques; Ceramic materials; Composite materials; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2019.10.032
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0955-2219

Abstract

Abstract: We herein report a novel hierarchically porous ceramic foams derived from boehmite gel foams, which possess both high porosity and superior strength. The gel foams show excellent printability due to its predominant stability, high yield stress and storage modulus, which endows such foam material ideal ink for 3D printing lightweight and complex-shape materials via direct ink writing approach. The 3D printed ceramic foams possess programmable architecture assembled by porous filaments, uniform macro-pores with tunable size in the range of 4∼70 μm, as well as nanoscale pores in cell wall, after sintering at relatively low temperature of 1200–1300 °C. In this way, ceramic foams with high strength were achieved, attributed to the tiny grains, large amount of grain boundaries, uniform pores and hierarchical pore structure. Notably, the foams sintered below 1200 °C have significant advantage on specific surface area, which could reach up to 300-400 m 2 /g.