Macroporous Ceramics from Particle-Stabilized Wet Foams

Abstract

We present a novel direct‐foaming method to produce macroporous ceramics using particles instead of surfactants as stabilizers of the wet foams. This method allows for the fabrication of ultra‐stable wet foams that resist coarsening upon drying and sintering. Macroporous ceramics of various chemical compositions with open or closed cells, average cell sizes ranging from 10 to 300 μm and porosities within 45% and 95%, can be easily prepared using this new approach. The sintered foams show high compressive strengths of up to 16 MPa in alumina foams with porosities of 88%. © 2007 The American Ceramic Society.