{"title":"Co–extrusion of alumina core–shell structures fabricated by robocasting","authors":"Michelle Weichelt , Larissa Wahl , Nahum Travitzky , Tobias Fey","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Porous ceramics have a wide range of applications regarding their exceptional structural and specific mechanical properties, such as adjustable permeability, high surface area, and high specific strength. To enhance the compressive strength of porous alumina further, core-shell structures with a dense core and porous shell were produced by combining co-extrusion and robocasting. Different amounts of spherical cellulose particles were added to the paste and subsequently burned out from the printed green bodies to obtain porous alumina. This leads to a porosity ranging from 18 % to 55 % in the samples, whereas the dense alumina shows a porosity of ∼2 %. Two different core-shell ratios were realized to investigate the influence of the dense core on the properties. The core-shell samples were characterized in terms of their porosity using the rule of mixture. The compressive strength of the fabricated structures was investigated and compared to the theoretical strength of porous samples without a dense core. The theoretical strength of porous reference samples was calculated using an empirical exponential expression. A novel approach to structurally reinforce highly porous ceramics was demonstrated by incorporating the dense core. With a porosity of 20 %, the core-shell structures have an average compressive strength of ∼850 MPa. The macrostructure and microstructure of the core-shell samples were investigated using SEM and µCT imaging. This leads to a lower failure of the structure under mechanical load and thus extends the range of possible applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100805"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144288965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-29DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100803
Oyku Icin , Damla Zeydanlı , Mattia Biesuz , Gian Domenico Sorarù , Cekdar Vakifahmetoglu
{"title":"Porous polymer-derived ceramics for environmental applications: Sorption, filtration, and catalysis","authors":"Oyku Icin , Damla Zeydanlı , Mattia Biesuz , Gian Domenico Sorarù , Cekdar Vakifahmetoglu","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), obtained from preceramic polymers, have emerged as promising materials for environmental applications due to their high thermal and chemical stability, tunable nano-microstrucure and porosity, and versatile surface functionalities. This review focuses on the recent advances in porous PDCs and their use in key environmental fields such as sorption, filtration, and catalysis. A comparative analysis of precursor chemistry, synthesis strategies, and resulting structural properties is presented, emphasizing how these factors influence performance in environmental remediation tasks. By consolidating findings across specific application areas, the work aims to clarify the functional potential of PDCs and identify current research gaps and opportunities for future development in environmental material science.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100803"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100797
Adam Boleslavský , Hana Ovčačíková , Milan Mihola , Aki Mikkola , Michaela Topinková , Zdenko Bobovský
{"title":"Study of 3D printing process: Optimization, quality analysis, and comparison of 3D printed and cast ceramic properties","authors":"Adam Boleslavský , Hana Ovčačíková , Milan Mihola , Aki Mikkola , Michaela Topinková , Zdenko Bobovský","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The goal of this study was to optimize and validate the procedures and methods used to form ceramic objects using 3D-print molding instead of cast molding. Chamotte refractory clay was shaped into 5 x 5 x 5 cm cubes using both the 3D-print-molding and cast-molding methods. These cubes were then evaluated, fired, and evaluated again. The 3D-print molding method used was an adaptation of ’direct ink writing’. Since refractory clay dries during manufacturing, a Photoneo 3D scanner was used to monitor cube shrinkage before firing. Other basic properties such as mineralogical composition, evaluated via X-ray diffraction, were also measured. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy determined chemical composition. After firing, compressive strength, bulk density, porosity, and water absorption were measured and structural aspects such as cracking and porosity were evaluated. The 3D-print molding of the chamotte clay was largely successful. The measured compressive strength of the fired 3D-print-molded and cast-molded ceramic cubes was 31.4 MPa and 30.4 MPa, respectively. The 3D-print-molded ceramic parts were slightly more porous (14.5%) and absorptive (7.1%). Total volumetric shrinkage was 36 %. Detailed cross-sectional analysis of the samples identified defects related to specific shortcomings of both molding methods. This information suggests areas that could be targeted for refinement. Addressing them could lead to significant advancements, allowing 3D-print-molded ceramics and similar materials to achieve superior properties compared to conventional manufacturing methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144243296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-22DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100801
Frizka Vietanti, Yuan-Jie Lee, Yu-Jen Chou
{"title":"Investigation of in vitro bioactivity, cytotoxicity, and neurogenic characteristics of spray-dried Al-doped bioactive glass","authors":"Frizka Vietanti, Yuan-Jie Lee, Yu-Jen Chou","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to advancements in bioceramics, bioactive glasses (BGs) are increasingly acknowledged as viable options in the domains of tissue and bone engineering, owing to their excellent characteristics such as non-toxicity, bioactivity, and biocompatibility. Nevertheless, the use of these materials is limited due to a lack of inherent neurogenic properties. To mitigate this limitation, we aimed to investigate the synthesis and properties of undoped and Al-doped 58S bioactive glass (BG) prepared via spray drying and focused on evaluating the impact of Al dopant concentration (5, 10, and 15 mol %) on their structure, morphology, bioactivity, cytotoxicity, and neurogenic characteristics. The results confirm the amorphous nature of both undoped and Al-doped BG microspheres while revealing a shift in morphology from smooth spherical particles to concave spheres with higher Al concentrations, along with their formation mechanism discussed. In addition, <em>in vitro</em> bioactivity, evaluated by immersing the specimens in simulated body fluid, demonstrates a decrease in hydroxyapatite formation with increasing Al content, while cytotoxicity indicated that all specimens are non-toxic, with Al doping even exhibiting a slight enhancement in cell viability. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of Al-doped 58S BG microspheres for biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100801"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144154681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advances in chemically tailored metal alkoxide as single-source precursors for engineered oxide nanostructures","authors":"Ajay Saini , Dalip Singh , Pushpendra Kumar , K.K. Nagaraja","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metal oxide nanostructures are of significant importance in several fields such as chemistry, physics, and materials science due to their diverse range of practical applications. Oxides are extensively utilized in various technical applications, including the production of sensors, piezoelectric devices, microelectronic circuits, coatings, catalysts, and solar cells. Owing to their small size, oxide nanoparticles exhibit special physical and chemical characteristics. The utilization of the single-source precursor technique exhibits potential as a viable method for the synthesis of nanoscale materials. However, its successful implementation necessitates the availability of appropriately customized precursors. Chemically altered metal/hetero-metal alkoxides exhibit promise as viable precursor materials for the fabrication of pristine metal/hetero-metal oxides at the nanoscale. These precursors have significant potential for the synthesis of new materials due to their ability to regulate precursor reactivity in sol-gel and spray pyrolysis processes, as well as facilitate the production of inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Microstructures ranging from nano-rods (∼100 nm) to nanowires of SnO<sub>2</sub> have been realized using the sol-gel method and have generated nano-alumina (Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) particle sizes ranging from 30 nm to 7 nm, depending on the degree of modification. The modification of alkoxides can be achieved by the exchange of alkoxy groups with chelating ligands, such as Schiff's bases, oximes, glycols, carboxylic acids, and other similar compounds. The chelating ligands in question exert their influence on the alkoxide precursor at a molecular level, so altering the hydrolysis-condensation process as a whole. Consequently, they serve as agents that direct the structure and govern the size of the resulting product.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100800"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100799
Mohammad Moslem Imani , Parya Fatahi , Amin Golshah , Mohammad Salmani Mobarakeh , Mohsen Safaei
{"title":"Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite-based nanocomposite coating with alginate biopolymer and MgO nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial Properties","authors":"Mohammad Moslem Imani , Parya Fatahi , Amin Golshah , Mohammad Salmani Mobarakeh , Mohsen Safaei","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study is to identify the ideal conditions for fabricating hydroxyapatite/alginate/MgO nanocomposite with potent antibacterial. The Taguchi approach was used to investigate the production of nanocomposites with the outstanding antibacterial properties. Three factors were studied at three levels, resulting in nine unique experiments. Characteristics such as surface appearance, chemical composition, elemental dispersion, thermal analysis and crystal structure were all evaluated. The findings showed that MgO nanoparticles and alginate biopolymer were evenly distributed throughout the hydroxyapatite matrix. The nanocomposite produced under experimental conditions 3 (0.03 M hydroxyapatite, 0.04 M alginate, and 0.08 M MgO) showed the strongest impact in inhibiting the growth of <em>Streptococcus mutans</em> at 1.84 Log<sub>10</sub> CFU/ml. This study illustrated that the fabricated nanocomposite had a stable performance under ideal conditions and the use of appropriate levels of components enhance the antibacterial activity of the fabricated nanocomposite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100799"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-12DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100796
Erhan Albayrak, Sevgi Özen
{"title":"Enhancing geopolymer synthesis through calcination: Increasing the potential of natural material utilization","authors":"Erhan Albayrak, Sevgi Özen","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, two types of calcined pozzolan were used as raw materials for geopolymer synthesis. The mechanical and microstructural properties of the geopolymers were investigated through compressive strength, XRD, FTIR and SEM/EDX analyses. Results indicated that the clinoptilolite-based geopolymer developed sufficient strength at room temperature, eliminating the need for thermal curing, a key limitation of natural material-based geopolymers. In contrast, despite calcination, the feldspar-based geopolymer exhibited inadequate activation and failed to achieve significant strength gains under both ambient and 50 °C curing conditions. This finding emphasizes the critical role of calcination in material activation while highlighting the significant impact of raw material composition on the overall performance of geopolymers. XRD and FTIR analyses revealed reduced clinoptilolite peak intensities, indicating its active involvement in geopolymer formation, while the presence of an amorphous hump suggested a well-developed geopolymeric gel network. SEM/EDX confirmed a stable Si/Al ratio in the clinoptilolite-based geopolymer, further supporting its enhanced mechanical performance. These findings highlight the significance of mineralogical characterization in predicting geopolymer reactivity and optimizing synthesis conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100796"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144068114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-12DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100795
M.P. Nijboer , H. Sondhi , E. Makhoul , M. Bechelany , S. Gabrielli , F. Roozeboom , A. Nijmeijer , A.Y. Kovalgin , M.W.J. Luiten-Olieman
{"title":"Influence of calcination temperature on the physicochemical properties of atomic/molecular layer deposited hybrid inorganic/organic ceramic nanofiltration membranes","authors":"M.P. Nijboer , H. Sondhi , E. Makhoul , M. Bechelany , S. Gabrielli , F. Roozeboom , A. Nijmeijer , A.Y. Kovalgin , M.W.J. Luiten-Olieman","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100795","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100795","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-deposition calcination in the air of hybrid inorganic/organic layers is considered to remove the organic constituents and completely create a full inorganic membrane. This study aims to investigate to what extent such a removal occurs and the effect of remaining organic constituents on the physicochemical properties of the membrane layer.</div><div>Three hybrid layers were deposited using trimethylaluminum, two aliphatic- (ethylene glycol and 1,6-hexanediol) and one aromatic alcohol (hydroquinone). The effects of the different calcination treatments on the physicochemical properties were investigated. Differential thermogravimetric analysis established that the maximum mass loss rate temperatures for the hybrid layers grown from the aliphatic alcohols are lower than those from the aromatic co-reactant. After 250 °C, water contact angles (WCAs) were between 46° - 92° and IR spectroscopy and XPS showed the presence of carbon. Calcination at 350 °C reduced the WCA to 0° - 25° and decreased carbon content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100795"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143946562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-06DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100794
Gaddam Kalpana , Chappidi Hanumantha Rao , Musa Adamu , Ashwin Raut , Yasser E. Ibrahim
{"title":"Effect of calcium carbide residue and superplasticizer dosages on the mechanical and microstructural properties of fly ash based geopolymer composites","authors":"Gaddam Kalpana , Chappidi Hanumantha Rao , Musa Adamu , Ashwin Raut , Yasser E. Ibrahim","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100794","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100794","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The role of calcium-rich waste like Calcium carbide residue (CCR) in enhancing the performance of geopolymer remains inadequately explored. This study investigates the structural, mechanical, and microstructural behaviour of low-calcium fly ash (FA)-based geopolymer composites modified with varying CCR contents (0 %, 10 %, 20 %), sodium hydroxide molarities (8 M, 10 M, 12 M), and superplasticizer dosages (0 %, 1 %, 2 %). Results revealed that 10 % CCR combined with 2 % superplasticizer and 12 M NaOH offered optimal performance, achieving a 16.8 % increase in compressive strength, a 144.8 % rise in tensile strength (3.06 MPa), and a 145.5 % improvement in flexural strength (3.83 MPa). Flowability improved by 15 % with higher superplasticizer dosage, whereas excessive CCR (20 %) adversely affected strength and porosity. Microstructural observations confirmed the synergistic formation of N-A-S-H and C-S-H gels in optimized mixes. These findings highlight CCR’s viability as a sustainable calcium source in geopolymer technology, promoting enhanced mechanical performance and environmental sustainability through industrial waste valorisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100794"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Open CeramicsPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100793
Huei-Jyun Shih , Chin-Tung Shih , Ying-Chieh Lee
{"title":"Microwave dielectric properties and microstructure of high entropy (MgxCa0.6-xSr0.39Ba0.01)ZrO3 ceramics","authors":"Huei-Jyun Shih , Chin-Tung Shih , Ying-Chieh Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100793","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.oceram.2025.100793","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The synthesis and characterization of Mg<sub>x</sub>Ca<sub>0.6-x</sub>Sr<sub>0.39</sub>Ba<sub>0.01</sub>ZrO<sub>3</sub> (<em>x</em> = 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) ceramics using the solid-state method was investigated at varying sintering temperatures in this study. The results show that increasing MgO doping and higher sintering temperatures enhance the ceramic’s bulk density, highlighting the sintering enhancement effect of MgO. However, excessive MgO doping exceeds the solubility limit, resulting in reduced density and the formation of secondary phases. Dielectric measurements reveal that the dielectric constant increases with MgO doping up to 1 % but decreases at higher concentrations. Ceramics sintered at 1350 °C exhibit optimal dielectric properties, including a high permittivity of 32.98 and a <em>Q</em> × <em>f</em> value of 22,012 at 8–9 GHz. These results demonstrate stable dielectric performance with minimal loss at high frequency due to Mg doping as a fifth cation. This behavior suggests that dielectric relaxation is associated with the high entropy effect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34140,"journal":{"name":"Open Ceramics","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100793"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}