Lee Hsun Lecture Series

Topic: Additive manufacturing of ceramics from precursors

Speaker: Prof. ing. Paolo Colombo

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

Adjunct Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, United States

Time: 10:30-12:00, (Thur.) Apr. 23^rd, 2026

Venue: Room 403, Shi Changxu Building, IMR CAS

Abstract: 

Additive manufacturing of ceramics is somewhat limited by their high melting temperatures and the processing issues related to handling of feedstocks containing a large volume of particles. Processing slurry-based feedstocks, in fact, poses several challenges: a high amount of powder is required to promote densification and results in high viscosity, scattering and sedimentation phenomena in vat photopolymerization processes, as well as clogging problems at the nozzle for extrusion-based processes.

Some of these issues can be solved or mitigated when using precursor-based eedstocks, when they are all liquid. Our research activities have therefore focused on the use of preceramic polymers as well as sol-gel solutions as feedstock for the production of ceramic components by additive manufacturing. Despite the many advantages related to their liquid nature, there are also some challenges related to the reactivity of sol-gel systems and to the high amount of solvent usually present, while preceramic polymers are limited in the range of compositions available.

We also investigated the additive manufacturing of both geopolymer solutions and geopolymer powders, as precursors for different components of interest for absorption, catalysis or high temperature applications.

In this talk, our strategies for producing high quality ceramic components using a variety of precursor feedstocks will be presented. Different additive manufacturing techniques were used to fabricate components ranging in size from the sub-micron to the tens of centimeters, including direct ink writing, binder jetting, digital light processing, two photon polymerization, robotic arm manufacturing and volumetric additive manufacturing.

Brief biography of the speaker:

Prof. Paolo Colombo is a full professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Italy. He graduated from the University of Padova with a degree in chemical engineering in 1985 and a diploma in Glass Engineering in 1988. He was an assistant professor at the University of Padova from 1990 to 1998 and then an associate professor at the University of Bologna, until 2005. He also has a diploma in flute from the Padova Conservatory of Music.

His research has significantly advanced the field of precursor-based ceramic processing, pioneering the use of preceramic polymers and geopolymer formulations for additive manufacturing technologies, such as digital light processing and direct ink writing. His work laid the scientific foundations for vat photopolymerization of preceramic polymers and extrusion-based additive manufacturing of geopolymers, approaches now widely adopted worldwide. He has also made seminal contributions to cellular ceramics and hierarchical porosity engineering. Several of his papers are considered landmark contributions in polymer-derived ceramics, additive manufacturing of ceramics and porous ceramics.

Prof. Colombo has authored over 450 peer-reviewed journal publications, 2 books (plus a 3rd forthcoming in 2026), 11 book chapters, and holds 20 granted patents. His work has received more than 28,000 citations, with an h-index of 84 (Google Scholar). A highly respected member of the international materials community, Prof. Colombo is a Fellow or Academician of multiple prestigious academies and societies, including the World Academy of Ceramics, the European Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea, and the European, American and Japanese Ceramic Societies. In addition, he plays a major editorial leadership role in the field, serving as Editor-in-Chief of Open Ceramics (Elsevier) and in the Editorial Board of several other journals.

Overall, Prof. Colombo's career is distinguished by pioneering scientific contributions to advanced ceramic processing, strong industrial translation through patents and collaborations, and sustained international leadership within the global materials science community.