The study, titled High-strength Si–SiC lattices prepared by powder bed fusion, infiltration-pyrolysis, and reactive silicon infiltration, was published in February 2024 in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and is the result of a collaboration with co-authors Samuele Bottacin, Giovanni Bianchi, Dietmar Koch, Paolo Colombo, and Alberto Ortona.
The award ceremony took place on April 30, 2025, in Novi, Michigan (USA) during the ACerS Annual Meeting. The John E. Marquis Award is granted annually to the article—published in the previous calendar year in one of the Society’s official journals—that provides the most valuable scientific and technological contribution to the ceramic and glass manufacturing industry.
The awarded article presents the final results of Marco Pelanconi’s PhD project, carried out jointly between the University of Padua and SUPSI, and introduces a new approach to the fabrication of advanced Silicon Carbide (SiC) ceramics through 3D printing, combining powder bed fusion with infiltration-pyrolysis and reactive silicon infiltration. This hybrid strategy enabled the production of complex lattice structures with high mechanical performance and thermal stability, with potential applications in strategic fields such as aerospace, energy, and high-performance structural components.
The scientific value of this research had already been recognized: the article was selected as the “Editor’s Choice for Outstanding Article” by John Mauro, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.
“Receiving this award is a great honor,” said Marco Pelanconi. “It is a recognition I share with all my co-authors, supervisors, and colleagues who supported this journey. For me, it has special meaning because it marks the culmination of my doctoral project. It shows that applied research developed at SUPSI can also have a strong impact internationally.”
Thanks to the scientific and technological relevance of this new technique, the Hybrid Materials Laboratory of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology (MEMTi) has recently obtained two research grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), aimed at further developing and expanding research in this innovative field. The Laboratory promotes pioneering projects in the areas of additive manufacturing, advanced ceramic materials, and energy applications, contributing to the development of sustainable and high-impact solutions for industry and society. The support received will foster the development of new industrial applications and deeper investigation of advanced ceramics produced through additive manufacturing.
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