Chinese scientists have created a carbide ceramic capable of withstanding temperatures up to 3,600 degrees Celsius (6,512 degrees Fahrenheit) in an oxidising environment, exceeding current thermal limits on hypersonic flight.
The development holds significant potential for applications in aerospace, energy and other extreme high-temperature fields.
Modern hypersonic aircraft and advanced engines demand materials that can maintain structural integrity under extreme thermal conditions. However, most materials begin to fail well below 3,000 degrees.
The heat shield tiles of SpaceX’s Starship, for instance, could withstand temperatures around 1,371 degrees, according to some estimates.
Metal alloys typically degrade at temperatures above 2,000 degrees, and while carbon-carbon composites can endure up to 3,000 degrees in inert environments, they begin oxidising rapidly in air at just 370 degrees, leading to a sharp drop in mechanical performance.
“Our team has – for the first time globally – surpassed this long-standing limit through high-entropy, multi-component design,” said Chu Yanhui, a professor at South China University of Technology.
