ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces· 2026Q1
Conformal ZrC Interphase for ZrB2 Ceramics from a Solvent-Activated Metallopolymer
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A novel solvent-activated metallopolymer forms a conformal ZrC interphase coating ZrB2 particles, leading to a finer microstructure after sintering.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- A new metallopolymer, X-mPGMA, was synthesized using solvent-activated zirconocene dichloride and poly(glycidyl methacrylate).
- The metallopolymer functions as a gelcasting agent for ZrB2 and a precursor for in situ ZrC formation.
- Conformal ZrC interphase coating on ZrB2 particles was achieved, suppressing grain growth during sintering.
- This method resulted in a finer ZrB2 microstructure compared to conventional methods.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Implementing the advantages of preceramic polymers in modern ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) manufacturing remains a significant challenge due to the limited preceramic polymer chemistry, which often is not fully amenable to ceramic processing conditions. Here, we present a solvent-activated, zirconocene dichloride-mediated ring-opening of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) that generates a zirconium-rich crosslinked network (X-mPGMA), allowing the metallopolymer to function both as a ZrC nanoparticle precursor and a colloidal processing gelcasting system. We utilize this metallopolymer gel chemistry to cast and consolidate near-net-shape ZrB2 green bodies. After carbothermal reduction and sintering, the crosslinked preceramic network yields a distinct ZrC phase that conformally coats the ZrB2 particles. Owing to the conformal ZrC interphase formed in situ, a finer ZrB2 microstructure was revealed, even under high-temperature sintering conditions. We further employed two gelcasting variants to near-net-shape and consolidate ZrB2 with and without added ZrC nanoparticles. Compared with the X-mPGMA-derived ZrB2 composites, these variants showed significant grain growth of ZrB2 after sintering, underscoring the effectiveness of in situ ZrC formation. This work highlights a powerful chemical processing strategy for effectively implementing multi-purpose, topologically distinct preceramic polymer-derived interphases in modern UHTC processing.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Ceramics and Composites
Ceramics and CompositesMaterials Science