| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Biological Materials Science
|
| Presentation Title |
Deeply Hierarchical Ceramic Materials with Outstanding Structural and Thermal Properties Manufactured from Diatom Frustules |
| Author(s) |
Aidan Lucas, Hannes C. Schniepp |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Hannes C. Schniepp |
| Abstract Scope |
The outstanding performance and multi-functionality of many biogenic materials is tightly interrelated to their hierarchical structures, with sizes ranging from molecular to macroscopic scales. Replicating these properties in man-made materials will require breakthroughs in manufacturing, since available methods neither have the resolution to reach low-nanometer scales, nor the speed to make macroscopic specimens at these resolutions. We grow macroscopic amounts of diatoms, algal micro-organisms featuring exoskeletons made from biosilica, called frustules. These frustules are several micrometers large and are hierarchically structured, with their finest features as small as a few nanometers. We developed techniques to harvest diatom frustules in gram amounts and purify them to make 3D-printable inks. This approach allowed us to produce hierarchical materials covering many length scales, from a few nanometers to several centimeters. Our materials are almost entirely ceramic and feature high specific strength, high thermal resistance and low thermal conductivity. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Sustainability, High-Temperature Materials, Mechanical Properties |