The process of preparing high-performance ceramics derived from foam precursors (FPC) represents an emerging research direction in the field of structural ceramics. This review represents the applications of this preparation method in multiple ceramic systems, including alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and boron carbide. This review discusses the influence of this method on the microstructures and mechanical properties of ceramics, as well as the toughening and strengthening mechanisms, while analyzing the roles of different process parameters. Foam precursors enable an effective regulation of ceramic microstructures, playing distinct roles in various processes such as foaming, pre-sintering, and impregnation to achieve a structural control. This method can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of ceramics. The comprehensive improvements in flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Vickers hardness can be achieved via adjusting appropriate process parameters and structural designs, endowing ceramics prepared by the foam precursor method with greater advantages in practical applications. The process boasts advantages such as low cost, simple operation, environmental friendliness, and strong universality. This meets the mass production needs of enterprises and aligns with the concept of efficient and sustainable development in modern industry, demonstrating enormous potential and broad prospects for technological industrialization and application. The toughening mechanisms of the FPC process involve the formation of a disordered laminated structure by foam fragments during dry pressing. The lamination effect, fragment rearrangement, and grain directional sliding contribute to the fabrication of layered ceramics, which induce crack deflection and bridging for toughening. Meanwhile, the process regulates intragrain defects such as dislocations and twins. In addition, the modification of grain morphology through pre-sintering processes also enables grain refinement and uniform distribution, or induces the formation of columnar crystals or nanowires. Moreover, enhancing grain boundary bonding strength alters the fracture mode of ceramics to promote a transgranular fracture, thereby improving fracture toughness.

Based on the comprehensive research, the FPC process demonstrates a remarkable potential in the preparation of high-performance ceramics, showcasing unique advantages in various ceramic systems such as alumina, silicon nitride, and zirconia. This process achieves microstructural and property optimization through multi-dimensional parameter regulation. A precise control of slurry solid content and particle zeta potential is critical for the stability and uniformity of foam structures. The pretreatment temperature alters the precursor’s architecture, with optimal temperatures modulating the sintering activity of foam precursors and grain morphology to lay a solid foundation for subsequent sintering. Hot-pressing temperature and pressure are key parameters determining the final densification and microstructure of ceramics, where appropriate hot-pressing regimes effectively eliminate internal pores and enhance the overall performance of ceramics. The ceramic microstructures (i.e., phase morphology and distribution, as well as grain size, shape, and orientation) can be effectively regulated via finely tuning these process parameters, thereby achieving an in-depth optimization of the ceramic mechanical properties. In terms of process advantages, the foam precursor method enables a fine structural design via leveraging the ultra-high porosity of foam and single-grain-layer-thick pore walls. This significantly improves performance, notably enhancing the mechanical properties across multiple ceramic systems and reducing the dielectric loss of alumina ceramics. The process is relatively simple, requiring no complex equipment or workflows, and is environmentally friendly, lowering production costs and technical barriers to align with sustainable development needs. Moreover, the method offers a high flexibility, allowingthe adjustment of process parameters according to different requirements and integration with other processes such as spray drying and impregnation coating to prepare diverse high-performance ceramic materials. Its toughening and strengthening mechanisms are diverse, primarily including crack deflection and bridging caused by the lamination effect, toughening by intragranular defects (i.e., dislocations and twins), grain refinement and uniform distribution, toughening by anisotropic grain growth, and improved grain boundary bonding strength to alter the material’s fracture mode. These results show some novel ideas and methods for the preparation of high-performance ceramics, greatly promoting the development of the ceramic materials field toward higher performance and broader applications.

Future research directions include the following aspects: In process optimization, the existing research on the synergistic mechanisms among various process parameters remains insufficient. In material system expansion, the process could be extended to conventional silicate ceramics, high-entropy ceramics, and other fields. In performance characterization, most of the existing studies focus on room-temperature mechanical properties, with less research on high-temperature mechanical behavior, thermophysical properties, and dielectric properties. From an application perspective, as science and technology advance, demand for high-performance ceramics in aerospace, electronics, energy, and other fields is growing, necessitating an accelerated resolution of engineering bottlenecks in the foam precursor method. In summary, the future development of the foam precursor method should focus on full-chain innovation spanning materials, processes, performance, and applications. It is essential to fully unleash the technology potential in structural design flexibility, green manufacturing compatibility, and multi-dimensional performance regulation to facilitate the large-scale application of ceramic materials in emerging fields.