High-Entropy Porous Ceramics: A Breakthrough in Ultrahigh-Temperature Thermal Insulation

High-Entropy Ultrahigh-Temperature Ceramic

In aerospace and other extreme environments, materials must endure some of the harshest conditions imaginable — including temperatures soaring above 2000 °C due to severe aerodynamic heating. Traditional oxide-based thermal insulation materials, while effective at lower temperatures, simply cannot survive under such ultrahigh thermal stress because of their relatively low melting points. The race is on to develop advanced ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) that combine low density, high strength, low thermal conductivity, and exceptional thermal stability.

The Promise and Challenge of UHTCs

Carbide-based UHTCs are particularly attractive because they offer melting points exceeding 3000 °C, high mechanical strength, and outstanding resistance to ablation. However, their inherently high density and thermal conductivity limit their effectiveness in lightweight thermal insulation applications — a critical requirement for aerospace structures.

A Dual-Phase, High-Entropy Solution

Researchers led by Professor Jingyang Wang at the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have pioneered a multiscale collaborative design approach that combines the high-entropy effect with a highly porous structure. Their innovation: a porous dual-phase high-entropy ultrahigh-temperature ceramic composed of (TiZrHfNbTa)C–(TiZrHfNbTa)B2.

The high-entropy effect — introducing multiple principal elements into a single-phase lattice — significantly increases lattice distortion, which reduces thermal conductivity. The dual-phase composition further enhances performance: the boride phase improves oxidation resistance in the carbide matrix, while the carbide phase counteracts the higher thermal conductivity of borides. This synergy results in a ceramic material with remarkable multifunctional properties.

Innovative Fabrication Techniques

The team fabricated these ceramics using a combination of foam-gelcasting-freeze drying and in-situ pressureless reaction sintering. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed a uniform pore size distribution and a random alternation between high-entropy boride (HEB) and carbide (HEC) particles. The two phases create numerous grain boundaries, which inhibit grain growth, producing smaller grains that enhance strength while lowering thermal conductivity.

Elemental mapping using EDS confirmed a homogeneous distribution of elements at both micro- and nanoscale. This structural refinement, along with abundant interface thermal resistance, further reduces heat transfer across the material.

Exceptional Performance Metrics

The porous dual-phase high-entropy UHTCs achieved:

  • Ultrahigh porosity: 96.4%–90.1%
  • Low density: 0.31–0.87 g/cm³
  • High strength: 0.45–4.17 MPa
  • Low thermal conductivity: 0.202–0.281 W/(m·K)
  • Excellent oxidation resistance

These results open the door for applications in aerospace thermal protection systems, high-speed flight vehicles, and other high-temperature engineering environments.

Looking Ahead

While the findings are groundbreaking, further research is needed to fully understand oxidation behavior under different conditions. The team plans to investigate oxidation kinetics through isothermal oxidation studies, paving the way for even more durable UHTCs.

As aerospace technology advances and missions push deeper into high-temperature regimes, the development of lightweight, high-performance thermal insulation materials like these high-entropy porous ceramics will be crucial for ensuring both safety and performance.

Read the full research news release here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1093451

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#HighEntropyCeramics #UHTC #ThermalInsulation #AdvancedMaterials #AerospaceMaterials #ExtremeEnvironment #PorousCeramics #HighTemperature #LightweightMaterials #ThermalProtection #MaterialsScience #QuantumServerNetworks #PWmat

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