Various shapes and structures of ceramic microreactor were fabricated via pyrolysis at 1000°C under the inert atmosphere of the 3D printed green bodies. We utilized digital light processing (DLP) type 3D printers to fabricate preceramic monolithic structures and the green bodies were derived from a photo-curable preceramic polymer as a chemically modified polyvinylsilazane, PVSZ, ceramic precursor and surface modified silica nanoparticles as an additive. 

During pyrolysis to the highly dense ceramic structures, the polymeric features retained their shapes with no deformation and no cracks owing to uniform isotropic dimensional shrinkage and relatively low weight loss of 28 %. The modulus and hardness of the pyrolyzed ceramic structures were measured by nanoindentation test and the SiCN ceramic structure showed 78.3 GPa of elastic modulus and 10.3 GPa of Vicker’s hardness. 

A working proof-of-concept microreactor for the production of hydrogen by a high temperature catalytic cracking process of ammonia demonstrated excellent heat tolerance and chemical resistance against exposure to the corrosive gas. 

The combination of preceramic resin and additive manufacturing technology provides a new approach to open opportunities for design flexibility of the ceramic structures and chemical/thermal resistant non-oxide ceramic systems.