Vat photopolymerization 3D printing of polymer-derived SiOC ceramics with high precision and high strength

Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) combined with 3D printing technology allows for the fabrication of various complex 3D structures and components that cannot be achieved through conventional ceramic preparation methods. However, current 3D printing PDC technologies suffer from low accuracy, poor mechanical and low ceramic yield, which severely limit their application values. Here, we report a polysiloxane-based preceramic polymer (PCP) precursor capable of producing high-precision and high-strength SiOC ceramics with ceramic yield as high as 56.9% after pyrolysis at 1100 ℃ in vacuum. Adding butyl acrylate into the precursor significantly improves printing resolution. Through special material design and printing parameter optimization, we fabricate various complex structures with overall sizes ranging from submillimeters to centimeters and printing resolution as high as 5 µm via vat photopolymerization 3D printing. The compressive strength of SiOC ceramic with I-WP structure reaches up to 240 MPa while its density is only 0.367 g/cm³, corresponding to a specific strength as high as 6.54 × 10⁵ N·m/kg. The printing resolution, specific strength and ceramic yield are all at the top level compared with previously reported works. The proposed approach will greatly promote the industrial application of 3D printing PDC technology in engineering fields and extreme environments. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.