Fabrication of polymer-derived SiOC/carbon composites using PμSL

• Main Author: Pek, Shaun Yue Zheng
• Other Authors: Hu Xiao
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/165793
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

SiOC/Carbon (SiOC/C) composites were produced from the polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) route, using a thiol-ene preceramic polymer (3T) as the SiOC source and a commercial photoresin (Figure 4®) as the carbon source. Characterisations were done on the formulated resin, cured polymer and pyrolysed PDCs to examine the crucial properties needed from each stage of the fabrication process. Photoresin properties such as cure depth and viscosity obeyed the rule of mixtures and indicated suitability for projection micro-stereolithography (PμSL) printing. The chemical and thermal properties were examined using FTIR and TGA respectively, to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms during curing of resin to solid polymer, followed by conversion to PDC. Converted PDCs were imaged using SEM in conjunction with XRD to confirm the formation of the SiOC/C composite. The dielectric measurements on the composite indicated a significant change in electrical properties when Figure 4® was added, with the lowest dielectric constant of εr = 7.4 observed at 20wt% of Figure 4®. Investigation on the post-treatment process using SEM and BET analysis indicated a microporous material with high specific area of 462 m2/g and uniform micropores could be formed by removal free carbon phases in the converted composite, showing good promise in gas filtration or membrane applications.