Liquid Polymer Solidifies into a Ceramic
S. Himmelstein | March 31, 2017These jars show variations of the liquid polymer that looks like water and has the same density and viscosity as water. Image credit: Gurpreet Singh/Kansas State University
A recently patented liquid polymer from a Kansas State University engineer transforms into a ceramic with valuable thermal, optical and electronic properties. The clear polymer looks like water and has the same density and viscosity as water, unlike some other silicon- and boron-containing polymers.
Composed of silicon, boron, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, the material offers scope for ceramic textiles, improved jet engine blades, 3-D printed ceramics and better batteries. A liquid is maintained at room temperature; upon heating the polymer transitions into a solid, glasslike ceramic.
The preceramic has a longer shelf life than other SiBNC polymers and can also be mass-produced. The ceramic derived from this polymer can survive extreme temperatures as high as approximately 1,700° C (3,092° F). Yet the ceramic has a mass density three to six times lower than that of other ultra-high-temperature ceramics, such as zirconium boride and hafnium carbide.
The researchers cite several important properties of the preceramic:
• The polymer can make ceramic fibers. If the polymer is heated to approximately 50° C to 100° C, it becomes a gel similar to syrup or honey. During this gel state, the polymer can be pulled into strings or fibers to create ceramic textiles or ceramic mesh.
• The liquid polymer has processing flexibility. It can be poured into molds and heated to accurately make complex ceramic shapes.
• Because the polymer is a liquid, it is sprayable or can be used as a paint to make ceramic coatings. The ceramic can protect materials underneath or can create more efficient machinery that works in high-temperature environments, such as steam turbines or jet engine blades. The polymer also may be used for 3-D printing of ceramic parts using a benchtop SLA printer.
• When combined with carbon nanotubes, the polymer has even more applications. It can create a black material that can absorb all light—even ultraviolet and infrared light—without being damaged. The combined nanomaterial can withstand extreme heat of 15,000 W/cm2, which is about 10 times more heat than a rocket nozzle.
• The polymer could be used to produce ceramic with tunable electrical conductivity ranging from insulator or semiconductor.
• The presence of silicon and graphene-like carbon in the ceramic can improve electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.
Wow this cool, I want some.....
Cool is the operant word. Not said is what happens with thermal cycling (The reader is expected to understand that the polymerization, starting as a liquid at 28 C (?), is an irreversible thermally dynamic process.), i. e., back down from the chosen terminal temperature to some lower temperature of whatever, then back up, say, very rapidly. The rest of the story, please.
I also want to buy some. Which shop do we go to for this? Do I need to bring my own bucket to carry it?
I want to make Photovoltaic panels with it. Can you alter the mix to get Boron doped and Antimony doped inks?
Great.
Would like to try out this material for coating / spraying on rigid PVC to increase the flexural modulus / stiffness. Please advise the source of this material.
In reply to #4
Did you manage to find out if this material is real, or did they just make up this story? There doesn't seem to be anybody who knows where to get it.