Open-porous reticulated cellular ceramics (RPCs) are of special interest for applications which benefit from their low relative density and their convenient transportation and flow characteristics for fluid phases. Examples are ceramic foam filters found in foundry processes, as catalyst supports or as substrate for the application of microporous adsorbent coatings for thermochemical energy storage. For most of these applications a high mechanical strength and good (thermal) conduction properties are desirable as well.

As a result of the manufacturing process of RPCs based on the impregnation of a polymer foam with a ceramic dispersion and subsequent thermal removal of the polymer template, these cellular ceramics are characterized by the presence of different pore classes, which can be adapted in further functionalization processes: 1) The cell pores and foam struts – defining the actual foam structure – can be modified by active coatings, for example catalysts or microporous materials; 2) the hollow struts, originating from the polymer template burnout, can be infiltrated with ceramic dispersions in order to increase the mechanical strength and thermal conductivity of RPCs; 3) the pores in the ceramic strut material can be functionalized by infiltration with metal salts and subsequent chemical reduction, an electrically conducting RPC is the result.

The talk summarizes different functionalization strategies which are based on the different pore classes being present in RPCs. Main focus is on enhancing intrinsic properties of cellular ceramics like (compressive) strength or thermal conductivity as well as generating completely new functionalities.