Facile ceramic micro-structure generation using electrohydrodynamic processing and pyrolysis

Electrohydrodynamic processing of a pre-ceramic polymer solution (polysiloxane) was used to fabricate various micro-components. With a single needle experimental set-up, sub-micrometer fibers and millimeter-size porous capsules were produced, while using two co-axial needles further enhanced the shaping versatility of the process, leading to the formation of micro-tubes and sub-micrometer hollow capsules. The polymeric samples were cross-linked and then pyrolyzed at 1200°C in N2 producing ceramic micro-parts that retained the morphological features present in the components in the polymeric state.