Solar energy-absorbing and -storing integrated ceramics are a new type of material that absorbs sunlight and stores it as heat energy, with properties such as high absorptivity, high thermal storage density, and high temperature stability. In this study, forsterite ceramics were prepared from
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Solar energy-absorbing and -storing integrated ceramics are a new type of material that absorbs sunlight and stores it as heat energy, with properties such as high absorptivity, high thermal storage density, and high temperature stability. In this study, forsterite ceramics were prepared from fused magnesia, quartz, α-Al
2O
3, and Sm
2O
3, and concurrently, two additives of Fe
2O
3 and CuO were doped to improve the absorptivity, and the effects of the composite additives on the performance of forsterite ceramics were investigated. The results showed that the optimal Fe
2O
3/CuO content ratio was 8:2, at which time the apparent porosity, bulk density, and thermal storage density of the sample were 0.21%, 3.08 g/cm
3, and 1516.71 kJ/kg (1000 °C), respectively. After 30 thermal shock cycles, the precipitation of samarium silicate in the samples resulted in a tighter grain bonding, increased the bending strength by 70.6%, and exhibited excellent thermal shock resistance. The solar absorptivity reached 93.80% in the 0.3–2.5 μm wavelength range. Fe
2O
3 doping replaced part of the positions of Al
3+ in MgAl
2O
4 to form MgFe
0.6Al
1.4O
4 phase. This replacement caused lattice distortion, which triggered electronic transition and augmented the intrinsic absorption capacity, thereby enhancing the sample’s absorptivity. CuO’s low reflectivity across the spectrum further reduced sample reflectivity.
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