When the samples of porous silicon carbide ceramics were first seen in the laboratory, the honeycomb-like structures presented under the electron microscope looked exactly like a beehive magnified a million times. This special material with a porosity of 15-60% is quietly moving from the combustion chambers of aerospace engines into our daily lives.
In a gas turbine at 1600℃, ordinary materials have long turned into molten iron, but porous silicon carbide maintains astonishing stability. Last year, when visiting the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a researcher demonstrated an interesting experiment: placing a porous silicon carbide sheet in an oxygen-acetylene flame (about 3000℃), the thermometer on the back showed that it only rose by 72℃. This heat resistance derived from the β-SiC crystal structure makes it an “invisible armor” for the thermal protection system of spacecraft. Even better, those micron-sized pores are like countless tiny chimneys, reducing the heat conduction efficiency by 40-60% compared to solid ceramics.
Perhaps even materials scientists did not expect that this type of ceramic, originally developed for extreme environments, would experience a second spring in the medical field. Clinical research published in the Journal of Biomaterials in 2024 shows that silicon carbide scaffolds with gradient pore size structures (5μm on the surface and 200μm on the bottom) have a bone integration rate 2.3 times higher than that of traditional titanium alloy implants.
The process of preparing porous silicon carbide itself is a chemical magic. By means of pore-forming agent method (commonly polymethyl methacrylate microspheres) or reaction sintering method, material engineers can precisely control the pore characteristics like perfumers. Interestingly, the latest patent of 3M Company in the United States shows that using recycled diatomite as a natural template not only reduces production costs by 18%, but also unexpectedly acquires a bionic structure similar to coral bones. This “turning waste into treasure” technique precisely aligns with the Taoist wisdom of “the usefulness of the useless”.
Application
- In the field of environmental protection: As the core material of diesel vehicle particulate filters (DPF), it can capture 99.7% of PM2.5
- Energy Revolution: Electrode support for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) boosts power generation efficiency to 65%
- Biomedical: The pore structure of 3D-printed bone scaffolds promotes cell growth and shortens the clinical healing cycle by 30%
- Semiconductor manufacturing: The lifespan of wafer polishing pads has been extended by three times, and TSMC’s 3nm process has been purchased in bulk
Post time: Jul-30-2025