Relationship between topological structures and mechanical properties of artificially architected SiC cellular ceramics: Experimental and numerical study

Abstract

Due to their topological superiority, the architected materials facilitate the improvement of the physical and mechanical properties of cellular materials. With the progress of additive manufacturing technologies, the fabrication of architected silicon carbide (SiC) cellular ceramics has become achievable. This study focuses on the indirect additive manufacturing method of SiC cellular ceramics consisting of 3D printing, replication, and reaction-bonded sintering. To study the impact of the topology on the mechanical performance, three strut-based unit cell structures and stochastic foam with robust solid struts were experimentally and numerically studied. Results showed that the hexahedron structure has the highest compression strength, the tetrakaidecahedron structure has the highest flexural strength, while the regular structures have higher mechanical performance than the stochastic foam. The deformation mechanisms of the topologies under the compression load indicated that the hexahedron, tetrakaidecahedron, and stochastic foam favor the bending-dominated deformation mode, while the octet favors the stretching-dominated deformation mode.