Towards High-Performance Piezoresistive Polymer Derived Sioc Ceramics Through Masked Stereolithography 3d Printing with Β-Silicon Carbide Nanopowder Reinforcement.

Enhancing the piezoresistivity of polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide ceramics (SiOC PDC ) is of great interest in the advancement of highly sensitive pressure/load sensor technology for use in harsh and extreme working conditions. However, a facile, low cost and scalable approach to fabricate highly piezoresistive SiOC PDC below 1400°C still remains a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication and enhancement of piezoresistive properties of SiOC PDC reinforced with β-SiC nanopowders (SiC NP ) through masked stereolithography-based 3D-printing and subsequent pyrolysis at 1100°C. The presence of free carbon in SiC NP augments high piezoresistivity in the fabricated SiC NP -SiOC PDC composites even at lower pyrolysis temperatures. We demonstrate a gauge factor (GF) in the range of 4,385-5,630 and 6,129-8,987 with 0.25wt% and 0.50wt% of SiC NP , respectively, for an applied pressure range of 0.5 to 5 MPa at ambient working conditions. Our reported GF is significantly higher compared to those of any existing SiOC PDC materials. This rapid and facile fabrication route with significantly enhanced piezoresistive properties makes the 3D-printed SiC NP -SiOC PDC composite a promising high-performance material for the detection of pressure/load in demanding applications. Also, the overall robustness in mechanical properties and load-bearing capability ensures its long-term stability and makes it suitable for challenging and severe environment applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.