The article, “Polymer-Derived Ceramics: 40 Years of Research and Innovation in Advanced Ceramics” by Columbo et al (July 2010) has scored the current top-ranking position in Web of Science standings of all articles published in the Materials Science Ceramics category in the past 10 years. That is Number 1 out of 49,492 articles published in 2008-2017!!
So what is the big deal about this? For us at X-MAT, it is a big deal because Polymer-Derived Ceramics (PDC) are at the heart of our X-MAT technology. In fact, we, at X-MAT, have pushed the path of the PDC technologies even farther along the path of the discoveries listed in this number 1 ranked paper.
Let us quote a line from the 40-year paper:
“ The polymer to ceramic conversion occurs with gas release which typically leads to cracks or pores which make the direct conversion of a preceramic part to a dense ceramic virtually unachievable, unless its dimension is typically below a few hundred micrometers(as in the case of fibers, coatings, or foams.) J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 93 [7] p.1811 (2010)”
We have produced thick bulk components as thick as 50mm with diameters in excess of 250mm. According to the #1 ranked paper in the Materials Science Ceramics category, this is virtually unachievable!!
Makes you wonder what X-MAT is going to do next, doesn’t it?