Development of a moulding technique for wood-based composites for the production of biogenic SiC-Ceramics.

Status

completed

Summary

Previous projects have shown the possibility to fabricate SiC ceramics based on special wood-based materials. The properties of the ceramics produced with a specific composition of the green body (wood materials) are in accordance to conventional produced (e.g. sintering) ceramics. In addition to the advantage of producing these materials from renewable resources, these materials can be distinguished from conventional produced SiC components by the possibility of the realization of complex-shaped SiC components. Requirement for this SiC component forms are not yet feasible molding processes for the green body. Wood based panels are traditionally made in flat-pressing processes. The motivation of this research project was to find design methods which are suitable for the production of complex green bodies made of wood and binders.

The aim of this project was to investigate various proven design techniques such as compression molding or extrusion molding to determine whether they are suitable for the production of green bodies for the production of SiC. Another promising way to realize complex shaped SiC ceramics consists in the fact that the carbonized template can be shaped by machining before a siliconization. Therefore, one aim of the project was to produce feasible sized green bodies by upscaling of previous results.

Based on the latest production and design methods for the production of green bodies, new design methods have been researched and defined. On this basis, an attempt was made to apply feasible methods. In order to apply these procedures it was also necessary to use further raw materials to enable processing. Altered material compositions and methods for shaping the green bodies enabled to characterize the green body as well. These production parameters were varied and the properties of the green body were analyzed. The main properties of the carbon body, which are dimensional change and carbon yield, were analyzed for the production settings and commodity combinations.

The results show the possibility to introduce further processes for the production of green bodies for SiC ceramics and that the generated green bodies fulfill requirements of downstream processing. Therefore, the key process parameters and raw material were analyzed.

It was also noted that the targeted design process for the production of 3D solid objects and 3D hollow bodies (injection molding) in the course of this project has not yet been solved. Therefore it is recommended to use different methods like 3D printing or other methods of rapid prototyping.

Project management

Priv. Doz. FH Prof. Dr. Alexander Petutschnigg
Fachhochschule Salzburg GmbH

Project collaborators

Fachhochschule Salzburg GmbH:

• FH Prof. Dr. Olaf Treusch
• Dipl.-Ing. Josef Lohr
• DI(FH) Dr. Stefanie Wieland MSc.
• DI(FH) Dr. Gernot Standfest

Project or cooperation partner

• DI Albin von Ganski
  SGL Carbon GmbH

Fachhochschule Salzburg GmbH
Priv. Doz. FH Prof. Dr. Alexander Petutschnigg
Urstein Süd 1
5412 Puch/Salzburg
E-Mail: alexander.petutschnigg@fh-salzburg.ac.at
Tel.: +43 (0)50-2211-2011
Web: www.fh-salzburg.ac.at