Hydrogel Infusion Additive Manufacturing for Carbides of Ti, Mo, and W

Interstitial carbide ceramics are sought-after materials for their extreme hardness and temperature resistance. However, current processing techniques are time-intensive and geometry-restricted. Hydrogel infusion additive manufacturing is an alternative route to forming and synthesizing carbide ceramics compared with traditional ceramic processing methods. Using a purely polymeric 3D printed preform, metal atoms are infused into the polymer gel by soaking the object in an aqueous or organic solution. Pyrolysis in an inert atmosphere converts the polymer matrix into a reactive carbon source leading to carbothermal reduction at higher temperatures. Ceramic lattice structures of TiC, MoC-Mo2C, and WC are created from a single polymer precursor. These infused gels are efficient for carbothermal reduction, with minimal oxide phases present after heating at 1500 °C for 2 h. The flexibility and simplicity in preparing various carbides from the single polymer precursor reported here can streamline the production process for these materials.