Preceramic paper is a composite material consisting mainly of pulp fibers and a filler. It is a recyclable material; therefore, its residues can be reused in its fabrication. Due to its high flexibility, preceramic paper can be shaped and formed into a variety of architectures, e.g., corrugated or multilayered structures. Thus, we can make gradient feedstock and mold ceramic products prior to sintering.
The advantage of preceramic papers, as compared to other materials, is that we can control their properties to ensure variability of individual layers in them. This unique feature makes it possible to create composites with improved properties by combining the properties of different materials. Preceramic paper can find application as a supporting part of high-temperature filters for hydrogen separation and purification. By adjusting the ratio of pulp fibers to filler powder, it is possible to change the porous structure of a material, thus achieving the desired gas permeability in each of its layers. This reduces the thickness of expensive catalytic layers, as well as helps to develop next generation ceramic filters,
Another promising application of preceramic papers is in the development of high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials for aviation and aerospace.
The researchers from Tomsk Polytechnic University used preceramic paper with a powder filler based on MAX phases as feedstock. It is a relatively new class of thermodynamically stable layered materials that combines the strengths of ceramics and metals. The resulting laminated composites showed advanced physical and mechanical properties while being easily machinable.
These laminated materials based on MAX-phase ceramic layers and metal layers of niobium, tantalum, and molybdenum have been developed as part of the Russian Science Foundation project No. 23-19-00109.
"The key property of preceramic paper is that it can be filled with powder of any composition, and we can select the right mode to produce papers with the desired properties. At this stage, we are conducting research to expand the range of preceramic papers we can fabricate. They can find a wide range of applications: from the production of heat exchangers and catalysts to the structural parts of aviation equipment. As for the filters for hydrogen separation and purification, the prototype design is planned for next year," notes Egor Kashkarov.
Reference
The Laboratory of Promising Materials and Safety of Hydrogen Energy Systems was set up at Tomsk Polytechnic following the contest of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia aimed at establishing youth laboratories at the universities participating in the Priority 2030 program. The Laboratory tasks include: creation of research framework and technologies for the production of new functional materials for hydrogen energy; development of materials for hydrogen separation and purification, as well as hydrogen permeable protective coatings, devices and methods for measuring selective properties of membrane materials; non-destructive testing of materials and products of hydrogen energy systems/
