Environmentally conscious ceramics (ecoceramics) from natural wood precursors

Environmentally conscious ceramics (ecoceramics) are a new class of materials, produced using natural, renewable resources (wood) or wood wastes (wood chips or sawdust). A wide variety of silicon carbide and oxide-based ecoceramics has been fabricated by infiltration of wood cellulose derived carbonaceous templates by molten silicon, refractory metal–silicon alloys, oxide sols, or gaseous silicon monoxide phases. This technology provides a cost effective and eco-friendly route to advanced ceramic materials. Ecoceramics have tailorable properties and behave like ceramic materials manufactured by conventional approaches. Various by-products generated at different steps in this process are reusable and recyclable.