Electrify-CerAMics – Additive manufacturing of electrically conductive ceramics for hydrogen production processes

The transformation of industrial processes towards a sustainable and resource-efficient operation is of major societal, ecological, and economical interest. By implementing optimized reactor designs in chemical conversion processes, the specific energy use can be lowered and process efficiency can be increased. Via the electrification of process steps currently relying on the use of fossil fuels, in particular heating operations, electrical energy from renewable sources can be used directly. Here, functional integration allows for providing heat only to parts of the reactor where it is actually needed, leading not only to a further increase in process efficiency, but also significantly reducing the amounts of critical raw materials required, specifically noble metal-based catalysts.

Owing to their outstanding properties, ceramic materials are excellent candidates as reactor materials. The use of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, particularly light-based methods, enables the implementation of complex, tailored reactor designs. Ceramics, however, are generally electrical insulators, which cannot provide resistive heating functionality. The introduction of electrically conductive secondary materials into the ceramic matrix leads to profound problems and limitations along the whole process chain.

To overcome these challenges, the core idea of Electrify-CerAMics is the development of innovative material and processing strategies towards novel electrically conductive ceramic materials based on preceramic polymers, which can be shaped in their polymeric state via lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM), and which facilitate the in-situ formation of electrically conductive phases during thermal polymer-to-ceramic conversion.

The five major project objectives are 

1. the definition of preceramic systems enabling structuring via LCM and the subsequent conversion into ceramic parts, 
2. the formation of electrically conductive phases within these materials, 
3. the implementation of AM strategies for the integration of both electrically conducting and insulating functionalities within single parts, 
4. the proof of concept for the use of LCM-structured polymer-derived ceramics with integrated resistive heating functionality in hydrogen formation, and 
5. the assessment of the ecological impact of the project concept using methods of life cycle analysis.

Our approach combining preceramic polymer technology, light-based AM techniques, and the targeted integration of electrical conductivity via the formation of conductive networks represents a significant novelty that pioneers new catalytic reactor systems with integrated resistive heating functionality for chemical conversion processes. In addition to the technological implementation, new aspects also include the comprehensive evaluation of the ecological effects and sustainability of our material and processing concept.

Based on the manifold potential application scenarios of 3D-structured, electrically conductive ceramics well beyond the distinct use case considered in this project, we anticipate a high impact of our results, both in an academic as well as in an industrial context, which we will actively foster through dissemination activities ranging from publications to presentations before potential industrial stakeholders.

Projektleitung

Associate Prof. Dr. Thomas Konegger
TU Wien – Institut für Chemische Technologien und Analytik

Projekt- bzw. Kooperationspartner

• Lithoz GmbH
• TU Wien – Institut für Verfahrenstechnik, Umwelttechnik und technische Biowissenschaften

Associate Prof. Dr. Thomas Konegger
TU Wien – Institut für Chemische Technologien und Analytik
Getreidemarkt 9/164-CT, 1060 Wien
Tel.: 01 58801 16161
E-Mail: thomas.konegger@tuwien.ac.at
Web: www.tuwien.at/tch/ceramics