Preparation and mechanical performance of SiC_w/geopolymer composites through direct ink writing

Abstract

Traditional geopolymer structures benefit from the durability, irradiation resistance, and environmental friendliness, but their brittleness limits their applications where repeated, impactive strains are imparted. This situation may be alleviated if complex structures with tunable geometry can be fabricated, for example, through 3D printing based on direct ink writing (DIW). In this research, SiC whisker/geopolymer (SiC w /GP) composites were fabricated by the DIW for the first time. The rheological behaviors of the SiC w /GP inks and the fracture behaviors of the printed samples were explored. The modified printing inks exhibited non-Newtonian fluid behavior (shear-thinning). Subsequently, a series of lightweight architected structures were fabricated, and they revealed how reinforcement and architecture of the printed structures could influence both the strength and toughness of the SiC w /GP composites.

Perspectives in architected infrastructure materials

“…The development of architected construction materials has not remained limited to cement-based binders. Researchers have used a direct-ink-writing (DIW) method to fabricate SiC whisker/geopolymer composites [89]. Relatively high concentrations of whiskers (3 wt.%) were used to enhance the yield stress in developing a 3D-printable ink, compared to a neat geopolymer ink.…”

Geopolymer Materials for Extrusion-Based 3D-Printing: A Review

“…The flexural and compressive strengths of such geopolymer composites were 309.2 percent and 375.8 percent greater, respectively, than those of nonreinforced GPs. Aside from short carbon fibre, SiC whiskers improve the strength and toughness of geopolymer composites with complicated hierarchical designs [ 145 ].…”

3D-printed Lunar regolith simulant-based geopolymer composites with bio-inspired sandwich architectures

“…Fiber-geopolymer composites exhibit excellent mechanical properties such as high strength, hardness, and toughness [20]. However, the problem of brittleness exhibited by geopolymer composites remains the greatest obstacle to their use as structural materials [21,22]. In addition, if the intrinsic mechanical properties of geopolymers could be improved, this would enable a significant reduction of the amount of material necessary for achieving a given strength, opening new development opportunities such as lightweight sandwiches, electronic devices, and catalytic carriers [23,24].…”