Synthesis and characterization of high ceramic yield SiCN ceramic precursors for efficient 3D printing application

This study successfully synthesized a novel SiCN ceramic precursor with high photosensitivity and ceramic yield through the addition reaction of Si-H and N-H groups in polysilazane (PSZ) with isocyanate groups in 2-isocyanoethyl methacrylate (IEM). The reaction mechanism between IEM and PSZ, and the curing and pyrolysis effects were investigated. The results showed that compared with 5 s exposure time, PSZ could not be cured, while the curing depth of PSZ could reach 1.51 mm after adding IEM chemical grafting modification, which significantly improved the curing printing efficiency. Increasing IEM content to 10 wt% reduced cure shrinkage from 13.85 % to 12.56 %, with a ceramic yield of 79.92 %. The bending strength of SiCN ceramic reached 30.7 MPa, and the microstructure of pyrolyzed samples was dense and free of defects. This research expands the application field of 3D-printed SiCN ceramics.