A novel thermosetting preceramic resin called acrylate-grafted
liquid polysilazane (ALSZ) was readily synthesized. The curing behaviors
of ALSZ were investigated by the techniques of differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and rheological
tests. The catalytic thermocuring process was controlled by the addition
of a polymerization accelerator composed of a radical initiator (cumene
hydroperoxide) and a transition metal catalyst (nickel naphthenate
or cobalt naphthenate). Photocuring at room temperature can proceed
readily by the addition of photosensitizer 819 (phenylbis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)
phosphine oxide). By combining a radical initiator, a transition metal
catalyst, and a photosensitizer, synergistic photothermocuring was
achieved, demonstrating advantages such as material shaping at room
temperature and low weight loss during curing. The ceramization of
the solidified ceramic precursors in an Ar atmosphere was studied
using TGA and tube furnace pyrolysis. ALSZs exhibited comparatively
high ceramic transformation yields (71–75% at 800 °C).
The resulting pyrolytic ceramics maintained their original shape without
deformation or foaming expansion. Polysilazanes containing acrylate
groups can directly form casting bodies, showing a high static glass
transition temperature (>380 °C) by thermomechanical analysis
(TMA). FT-IR analyses revealed that multiple reactions are involved
in the curing of ALSZ. The results in this paper showed that ALSZ
might find prospective applications in material processing, such as
additive manufacturing and ceramic–matrix composites.