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Fabrication of Ultra-Lightweight and Highly Porous Alumina Scaffolds by a Novel Sol–Gel/Freeze Casting Hybrid Method

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Advances in Powder and Ceramic Materials Science 2023 (TMS 2023)

Part of the book series: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series ((MMMS))

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Abstract

Ceramic-based scaffolds developed by the freeze casting method exhibit anisotropic lamellar and interconnected porous structure and can be adopted for filtration, insulation, absorption, and many applications. However, the upper limit of porosity caused by the unstable mechanical properties from low solid-loading slurries has restricted functionalities of scaffolds fabricated by the traditional freeze casting method. In this study, the sol–gel/freeze casting hybrid method was developed to fabricate the alumina scaffolds with low bulk density (200–500 kg/m3) and proper specific strength. The microstructural features of the lamellar structure and continuous surface developed from the condensation reaction were evaluated by SEM. The ultra-lightweight porous alumina scaffolds successfully fabricated by this hybrid method show high specific surface area and proper mechanical stability. The porosity of alumina scaffolds can reach over 90%, possessing great potential for filtration and gas absorption applications in the future, and this hybrid sol–gel/freeze casting approach can be extended to ceramic/glass scaffolds with varying functionalities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan

    Pei-Chieh Ho, Haw-Kai Chang & Po-Yu Chen

Authors
  1. Pei-Chieh Ho
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  2. Haw-Kai Chang
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  3. Po-Yu Chen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Po-Yu Chen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA

    Bowen Li

  2. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Dipankar Ghosh

  3. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Eugene A. Olevsky

  4. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Kathy Lu

  5. Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China

    Faqin Dong

  6. China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China

    Jinhong Li

  7. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Ruigang Wang

  8. University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA

    Alexander D. Dupuy

  9. San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Elisa Torresani

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Ho, PC., Chang, HK., Chen, PY. (2023). Fabrication of Ultra-Lightweight and Highly Porous Alumina Scaffolds by a Novel Sol–Gel/Freeze Casting Hybrid Method. In: Li, B., et al. Advances in Powder and Ceramic Materials Science 2023. TMS 2023. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22622-9_4

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