Abstract
Because of the increased demand for preceramic polymers in high-tech applications, there has been growing interest in the synthesis of preceramic polymers, including polysiloxanes and alumina. These polymers are preferred because of their low thermal expansion, conformability to surfaces over large areas, and flexibility. The primary objective was to evaluate the aspects of polymer-derived ceramic routs, focusing on the UV lithography process of preceramic polymers and the pyrolyzing properties of the final ceramics. We found that the p(DMS-co-AMS) copolymer was effective in scattering the hydrophilic Al2O3 nanoparticles into the exceedingly hydrophobic solvent. The physico-chemical behavior of characterized copolymers was explored during their pyrolytic transformation into amorphous silicon-based ceramics. The results indicate that an increase of the pyrolysis temperature degraded the Si–O network through the carbothermic reaction of silicon. We also found a rapid elimination of copolymer pores and densification when the temperature increased (1100 to 1200 °C). At different but specific temperature ranges, there are different distinct rearrangement reactions in the conversion of polymer to ceramic; reductions of the melting point (Tm) of the total heat of melting (ΔHm) of the pyrolysis process resulted in the crystallization of ceramic materials; hence, lithography based on pyrolysis properties of preceramic polymers is a critical method in the conversation of polymers.
Highlights
The synthesis of preceramic polymers, such as polysiloxanes, has received much attention over the years because of polymers’ low thermal expansion, conformability to surfaces over large areas, and ability to obtain new binary ceramics, such as silicon carbide (SiC), and even more complex compositions in silicon oxycarbide (Si–OC) systems [1,2]
At different but specific temperature ranges, there are different distinct rearrangement reactions in the conversion of polymer to ceramic; reductions of the melting point (Tm ) of the total heat of melting (∆Hm ) of the pyrolysis process resulted in the crystallization of ceramic materials; lithography based on pyrolysis properties of preceramic polymers is a critical method in the conversation of polymers
Preceramic polymers have been recognized as a critical tool in the production of advanced ceramics [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Summary
The synthesis of preceramic polymers, such as polysiloxanes, has received much attention over the years because of polymers’ low thermal expansion, conformability to surfaces over large areas, and ability to obtain new binary ceramics, such as silicon carbide (SiC), and even more complex compositions in silicon oxycarbide (Si–OC) systems [1,2]. Amending the starting polymer chemicals with metallic precursors, such as Al, Zr, and Ti, could provide a further increase in the complexity of the system, helping to realize ceramic components with a greater variety of compositions and outstanding thermal properties. There are many reasons why the methodology is a potentially promising direction towards understanding ceramic components. These include the ability to achieve a wider variety of compositions, the unique microstructure characteristic which is often not associated with other conventional methods, the low cost of the precursors, and the fact that the final ceramics possess distinctive thermo-mechanical and chemical properties.
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