Microstructure Evolution of Silica Sol Shell Layers Regulated by Polyethylene Powder and Its Influence on Permeability

Microstructure Evolution of Silica Sol Shell Layers Regulated by Polyethylene Powder and Its Influence on Permeability | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Microstructure Evolution of Silica Sol Shell Layers Regulated by Polyethylene Powder and Its Influence on Permeability Gang Lu, Jinglei Chen, Qingsong Yan, Yong Li This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Silica sol investment casting shells are renowned for their superior high-temperature strength and surface finish; however, achieving optimal shell performance requires balancing inherent trade-offs between mechanical integrity and permeability. Thickening the shell to enhance load-bearing capacity often compromises both permeability and heat dissipation efficiency. To mitigate this limitation, this study investigates the incorporation of micro-nano polyethylene (PE) powder into the surface layer slurry of silica sol shells. A systematic examination of PE powder content, particle size, and associated physical parameters reveals their correlated effects on microstructural evolution, permeability, and flexural strength. Experimental results demonstrate that elevated PE powder content and particle size induce progressive increases in hole density, average hole area, total porosity, and surface roughness within the shell matrix. Notably, surface roughness increments remain constrained below 6.6 µm across all formulations. Flexural strength exhibits an initial decline followed by stabilization with increasing PE parameters, reaching an optimal value of 5.7 MPa at 12 g/L PE content and 30 µm particle size. At ambient temperature, permeability improvements up to 15.2 × 10⁻⁸ m⁴/(N·s) are achieved by increasing PE content (0–24 g/L) and particle size (13–48 µm). Elevated-temperature testing reveals a non-monotonic permeability response: thermal expansion of Al 2 O 3 particles compresses internal holes between 25–700°C, reducing permeability, while subsequent contraction of SiO 2 particles adhering to Al 2 O 3 frameworks induces porosity expansion between 800–1000°C, partially restoring permeability. The most significant permeability enhancement (7.6 × 10⁻⁸ m⁴/(N·s)) occurs at 18 g/L PE content and 30 µm particle size. investment precision casting Silica sol shell Micro-nano PE powder Shell bending strength Permeability Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7709890","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":554412318,"identity":"c8f1a308-be2c-42c1-8712-b559b768786c","order_by":0,"name":"Gang Lu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanchang Hangkong University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Gang","middleName":"","lastName":"Lu","suffix":""},{"id":554412319,"identity":"6dd0f216-35f2-4f51-a79c-c0d837349c6b","order_by":1,"name":"Jinglei Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanchang Hangkong University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jinglei","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":554412320,"identity":"47332c54-0b9f-4d5c-b713-f14afdbfbe28","order_by":2,"name":"Qingsong Yan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNACA5v6+eyNjQ8+EK+lII1xY8/hZsMZxGv5cJix4UZ6mzQHUU46fvbgzR8Gh5kZZz5skGZgsJPTbSCk5UxesjWPQTobu3Rig3EBQ7Kx2QFCWg7kmEkzGFjzMM5ObEiewXAgcRtBLeffmEn+MGCWYLh5sOEwD1FabuSYSfAYOBsw3GBsbCZKi+SNN8ZAv6QlGPYkNjPOMCDCL3zncwxv/vhjkyDPfvz5jw8VdnIEtSgAFUgguZOAchCQb0DRMgpGwSgYBaMACwAAOe1FnSkGBKIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Nanchang Hangkong University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qingsong","middleName":"","lastName":"Yan","suffix":""},{"id":554412321,"identity":"5b9f1f43-bfee-4522-8d6a-06f621bc254a","order_by":3,"name":"Yong Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nanchang Hangkong University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yong","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-25 07:23:28","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":97475175,"identity":"697b4d76-fa8e-4996-88e0-b8a65bb7486f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7164818,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/38e78ee6b7915982f644157d.docx"},{"id":97668952,"identity":"2c48c7ea-2871-4b36-8031-7527f4ebbd03","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:26:47","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7990,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9cf9afe5b87043ecb387830d8ba63bf8.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/371bf5425f29282dda8f1a06.json"},{"id":97670463,"identity":"8b237a82-9b4b-4ce6-ac3c-34f066aaec62","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:30:44","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":130109,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9cf9afe5b87043ecb387830d8ba63bf81enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/778cd0944c08b7bf4da79a72.xml"},{"id":97475157,"identity":"b527d766-bb97-47ba-8528-4f2c524b386a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":477895,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/a167e403b1a202b0334484aa.png"},{"id":97475166,"identity":"49212ef9-b904-46ef-9f67-9e758bed735c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":84210,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/b92dc77f4f8d97b36f8afa5a.png"},{"id":97475162,"identity":"134e489c-41a8-453d-8101-5d4ff0e90431","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":8669,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/fc466b8f801dada3b1895033.png"},{"id":97668200,"identity":"7eb12866-1b67-416e-b449-864ec1628dc7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:25:02","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":234533,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/79d1970241a2b7ea3ad78c3a.png"},{"id":97670091,"identity":"69ceb701-e670-45df-adcf-3e5ee41ca6a3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:41","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":49660,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/d58fb72460eed942c0313364.png"},{"id":97670145,"identity":"3c822287-1ec6-494f-8868-6d015097fead","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:46","extension":"jpeg","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":97300,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage14.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/5c70e323dc9f6c473a12b7b4.jpeg"},{"id":97669323,"identity":"cbed6066-c00d-497f-8dd7-ea28160983bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:27:49","extension":"jpeg","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":98784,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage15.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/f2b4fb377323f6fde7974d92.jpeg"},{"id":97475165,"identity":"fb613974-d3f4-4947-96fb-216ba3b83c73","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":12674,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage16.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/54ef5b6f2eac0741b8e18a6c.png"},{"id":97475159,"identity":"bd12ac7a-1a75-4114-94d9-ce2c1b5fd2d1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":10180,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage17.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/7a14e4e6d870668a810505d8.png"},{"id":97670018,"identity":"0f15e455-9b9c-49da-9475-d77aa281b7f6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:35","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":372736,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage18.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/c0172e9096e5704a1b42f418.png"},{"id":97475169,"identity":"a7588931-6f81-40ae-91e2-251040bfed41","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":13992,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage19.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/d07d16b0bbb78fd4f192f8a3.png"},{"id":97475168,"identity":"02b76fde-e6e7-45a3-8f5f-ee19f2d6dbb1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":25478,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/1e5acd7620ec5e07459161ea.png"},{"id":97475180,"identity":"d6552518-98f3-41e4-80d9-324532700e7f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1753430,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/da64bb746d614b660046a851.png"},{"id":97670223,"identity":"99ad250f-cd97-475a-b9bb-d8a8056697d3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:58","extension":"jpeg","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":81053,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/c77710c485a7bd5f3618e192.jpeg"},{"id":97475184,"identity":"168fb5c0-2312-45e6-860b-7a3190044447","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":17,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1288088,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/69a52129e438eb493f8bd50b.png"},{"id":97670198,"identity":"43dc2465-f95a-48c0-b08f-a6505c9114d5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:51","extension":"png","order_by":18,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":228664,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/bae85a94b79f45e1a8f79dfa.png"},{"id":97669970,"identity":"5dfeaf37-4f55-4fd7-9b41-d83ad582fe5e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:28","extension":"png","order_by":19,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":11567,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/b40db7e4638b122861871ea8.png"},{"id":97670428,"identity":"aaae030c-2542-4189-9e6d-2811a32d6e0c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:30:38","extension":"png","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1001772,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/a8a2ffd38ce41410859abe8b.png"},{"id":97475185,"identity":"45c5b9a0-7df0-4287-be9b-dcb4f3d1897c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":21,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1246002,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/6faf7dfd307eddf174c8b76b.png"},{"id":97670181,"identity":"dcf67ec3-0050-4844-b5dd-8124b143f873","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:48","extension":"png","order_by":22,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":43834,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/11c1879a6204d7f2a2c321a6.png"},{"id":97668752,"identity":"c7a4b333-993e-4fbb-986d-3cf0aa529d90","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:26:15","extension":"png","order_by":23,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":15276,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/3979c0e5c797e6acdca08546.png"},{"id":97475173,"identity":"efc4e293-1ba0-4e49-b00b-ad7eec93d73b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":24,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5911,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/43a3654ec5dd1c1ac23b5541.png"},{"id":97668638,"identity":"671edc62-ea24-4745-be9a-a8aa69e6c0c8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:25:54","extension":"png","order_by":25,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":27024,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage12.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/1d900126e916d270ed833934.png"},{"id":97669114,"identity":"39111773-926d-47d1-a097-9801dd14f6fc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:27:17","extension":"png","order_by":26,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":16892,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage13.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/0f7bfe016b4c0540fd982495.png"},{"id":97670408,"identity":"84f87b4f-e426-454a-95ea-9df76b562faa","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:30:35","extension":"png","order_by":27,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":29839,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage14.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/e1b0c1e5b3333f6266fa3288.png"},{"id":97668230,"identity":"e16dfe02-94b6-460c-bcfb-720f74675720","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:25:06","extension":"png","order_by":28,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":40621,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage15.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/1cf4331349dea268ab300bcb.png"},{"id":97669332,"identity":"d158cc38-b445-4d6b-8e74-b730f789e461","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:27:49","extension":"png","order_by":29,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7862,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage16.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/f12d457ad8c6ba826c6cb223.png"},{"id":97669918,"identity":"a6a375bf-b169-4827-8215-d107ee4f769d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:29:24","extension":"png","order_by":30,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":6298,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage17.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/5d72d0ca586ba4e1fe71c9fa.png"},{"id":97475196,"identity":"bb52358c-13af-4ce4-af79-a041823ae88f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":31,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":73790,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage18.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/25f0c57905e71ab03652f4c4.png"},{"id":97475195,"identity":"a6fe6a95-8f2f-47ce-899d-b4d02207a2af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":32,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":8799,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage19.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/2a86a3b6e078aac70e7592bb.png"},{"id":97668754,"identity":"03c64113-0d6f-44b8-a83d-e7e181d8c903","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:26:15","extension":"png","order_by":33,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":24453,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/a9b1a7b82271ab7ed745570c.png"},{"id":97475188,"identity":"ea6b7848-f560-4f89-a46c-674f6ac2f197","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":34,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":185159,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/f8b8dc1eed1a8d7797ca3d28.png"},{"id":97669025,"identity":"4ee35ae7-7004-4693-b5a5-8dae1ccba5c5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:27:06","extension":"png","order_by":35,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":24372,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/09a5b5dd12849576284cd69d.png"},{"id":97475194,"identity":"53a05c1c-725e-4c86-a6e3-72533c836edc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":36,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":225094,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/04ca1219dacec2e408db5c85.png"},{"id":97475191,"identity":"3c99f84a-eafb-40c1-a052-25f7776707a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":37,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":51631,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/615d05fb3695092309c7fd32.png"},{"id":97892514,"identity":"bb2357a8-76f4-42e5-832c-4810295d0446","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-10 15:13:00","extension":"png","order_by":38,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7182,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/d3b8770e12df8a0506fd9c20.png"},{"id":97670372,"identity":"d96526fd-5f4f-4d00-a7b6-5d7bc9a24ab5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-08 09:30:28","extension":"png","order_by":39,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":82699,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/13585813ebcb310873949c22.png"},{"id":97475198,"identity":"ca9c842a-6cc1-4770-ade8-5b695a792b0d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"png","order_by":40,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":206758,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/2fb8203a52aafaca820e1077.png"},{"id":97475197,"identity":"9dce098a-76f6-4ff7-a691-578061b2a5dd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"xml","order_by":41,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":124829,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"9cf9afe5b87043ecb387830d8ba63bf81structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/9ed9993382a77d8b8e63795e.xml"},{"id":97475199,"identity":"137fafd9-e798-434e-8d9e-4cbd87a5ef7c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-12-04 18:41:31","extension":"html","order_by":42,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":136093,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1/3a573e9068ed741c65090bf0.html"},{"id":109057149,"identity":"d2936e42-2530-496d-b2de-63fb8701a2b7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-12 07:46:58","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1717619,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7709890/v1_covered_4496a296-b53c-4176-ba3d-f266ab6a51a7.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Microstructure Evolution of Silica Sol Shell Layers Regulated by Polyethylene Powder and Its Influence on Permeability","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"investment precision casting, Silica sol shell, Micro-nano PE powder, Shell bending strength, Permeability","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSilica sol investment casting shells are renowned for their superior high-temperature strength and surface finish; however, achieving optimal shell performance requires balancing inherent trade-offs between mechanical integrity and permeability. Thickening the shell to enhance load-bearing capacity often compromises both permeability and heat dissipation efficiency. To mitigate this limitation, this study investigates the incorporation of micro-nano polyethylene (PE) powder into the surface layer slurry of silica sol shells. A systematic examination of PE powder content, particle size, and associated physical parameters reveals their correlated effects on microstructural evolution, permeability, and flexural strength. Experimental results demonstrate that elevated PE powder content and particle size induce progressive increases in hole density, average hole area, total porosity, and surface roughness within the shell matrix. Notably, surface roughness increments remain constrained below 6.6 \u0026micro;m across all formulations. Flexural strength exhibits an initial decline followed by stabilization with increasing PE parameters, reaching an optimal value of 5.7 MPa at 12 g/L PE content and 30 \u0026micro;m particle size. At ambient temperature, permeability improvements up to 15.2 \u0026times; 10⁻⁸ m⁴/(N\u0026middot;s) are achieved by increasing PE content (0\u0026ndash;24 g/L) and particle size (13\u0026ndash;48 \u0026micro;m). Elevated-temperature testing reveals a non-monotonic permeability response: thermal expansion of Al\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e particles compresses internal holes between 25\u0026ndash;700\u0026deg;C, reducing permeability, while subsequent contraction of SiO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e particles adhering to Al\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e frameworks induces porosity expansion between 800\u0026ndash;1000\u0026deg;C, partially restoring permeability. The most significant permeability enhancement (7.6 \u0026times; 10⁻⁸ m⁴/(N\u0026middot;s)) occurs at 18 g/L PE content and 30 \u0026micro;m particle size.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Microstructure Evolution of Silica Sol Shell Layers Regulated by Polyethylene Powder and Its Influence on Permeability","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-04 18:41:26","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7709890/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"195e54ca-fa7f-4781-a6c7-7471c58fffff","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 4th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Rejected","date":"2026-05-12T07:24:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-12T07:44:34+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-04 18:41:26","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7709890","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7709890","identity":"rs-7709890","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}