Disclosed herein are a highly porous ceramic having a high porosity of
not less than 60% and a pore density of not less than 108 pores/cm3
fabricated from expandable microspheres and a preceramic polymer, and a method
for fabricating highly porous ceramic. The method for fabricating highly porous
ceramic from expandable microspheres and a preceramic polymer comprises the steps
of: homogeneously mixing a preceramic polymer powder and expandable hollow microspheres,
if necessary, a ceramic powder, and molding the mixture to form a molded body;
heating the molded body to expand it; curing the expanded molded body; and pyrolyzing
the cured molded body.
Since the highly porous ceramic has a higher porosity and pore density than
conventional porous ceramics, it can be suitably used for various high temperature
structure materials, kiln furniture, bulletproof materials, shock-absorbing materials,
insulating materials, refractory materials, lightweight structure materials, etc.