The application of foam ceramics began in the 1980, when it was only used as uranium purification materials and bacterial filter materials. With the continuous expansion of the use of foam ceramics, its application fields have gradually expanded, from filtration, thermal and other fields to heat insulation, sound absorption, electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, environmental biology and chemistry.
Hot industries
3.1 Microporous membrane Ceramic separation membrane has the advantages of acid and alkali resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, aging resistance, long service life and so on. It has been recognized by people and has been developed and applied in many fields such as food industry, biochemical industry, energy engineering, environmental engineering, electronic technology and so on. With the development of materials science, the preparation and application of nano-porous inorganic membranes have become a hot research topic.
3.2 Biomaterials At present, many research institutions are committed to the study of porous hydroxyapatite bioceramic materials. Porous hydroxyapatite bioceramics were prepared by adding pore-forming agent and making foam ceramics. The interconnected pores are beneficial to the microcirculation of tissue fluid and promote the infiltration and growth of cells. At present, the developed foam ceramic hydroxyapatite artificial bone and artificial eye have been used in clinical experiments, which has attracted the attention of the medical and material circles.
3.3 Foam ceramic materials used in food and health industry Foam ceramic has high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and good biological and chemical properties, so it can be used for the concentration, separation and refining of enzymes, viruses, vaccines, nucleic acids, proteins and other physiologically active substances in the pharmaceutical industry. In the food and beverage industry, it is especially suitable for the filtration of beverages and low-alcohol liquors with high requirements for color, aroma and taste, and is expected to play a huge role in the production of beer.
3.4 Environmental materials With the development of modern industry, more and more harmful gases and waste water are discharged from all walks of life. If not handled properly, it will seriously affect the living environment of human beings, so environmental protection has become the theme of the times. Foam ceramics have been used in automotive catalytic converters for a long time. Foam ceramic catalyst for deodorization can catalyze the combustion of organic solvents and odorous gases in wastewater to achieve the purpose of deodorization and purification. High-temperature dusty gases can be effectively removed by using high-permeability foam ceramics with high temperature resistance and sufficient thermal shock resistance. In the process of urban sewage treatment, foam ceramic materials have also become the materials used for aeration treatment.
3.5 Insulation material Foam ceramic has the characteristics of low thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance, and is an ideal heat-resistant material. The typical heat-resistant material made of foam ceramics is heat-resistant brick, which is made of ZrO2, SiC, magnesium salt and calcium salt. The use temperature is as high as 1600 °C.It is currently the world 's thermal insulation material, called 'super thermal insulation material ', which is applied to the thermal insulation of the space shuttle shell and the thermal insulation of the missile head.