Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion of ZrB2-SiC Microchannels for Ultra High-Temperature Compact Heat Exchanger

Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE) is a paste extrusion based additive manufacturing process that has been developed for the fabrication of dense ceramic components. This paper presents a study of using the CODE process to build microchannels with ZrB2-SiC aqueous paste for the fabrication of an ultra-high-temperature compact heat exchanger (CHE). The aqueous paste is developed from ZrB2 and SiC (70/30 vol%) powders to possess properties suitable for the extrusion process. The performance and properties of the microchannels are tested for use in the CHE, which features a large heat transfer area to volume ratio and has potential applications in aero-engines, microturbines, etc., as well as high-efficiency power generation systems.