3D printing of ceria for solar thermochemical water splitting

Abstract

The redox material is often applied as an open porous monolithic structure to allow deep penetration of solar radiation and a high surface area for fast kinetics during reduction and oxidation. While the most efficient systems so far have been using reticulated porous ceramics, 3D printing is seen as an option to further improve and tailor the design of the redox structures. First tests have been reported for structures used in directly irradiated receiver-reactors. R2Mx creates a different set of requirements for the redox structures and adapted designs have been developed. For the fabrication 3 different printing methods are investigated: Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, and Vat Photopolymerization. Ceria pellets and rods have been printed and characterized in order to iteratively elaborate and improve the fabrication methods. More advanced designs which are closer to the application as well as a proof-of-concept test rig for the testing of the 3D printed ceria structures including first experimental results will be presented.