| Abstract Scope |
Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) are promising materials for use in next-generation hypersonic platforms owing to their high melting points and excellent thermo-mechanical properties. However, poor oxidation and ablation rates limit their implementation in reusable concepts. To address this shortcoming, we are studying the synthesis and high-temperature oxidation behavior of nanoporous UHTCs infiltrated with a protective secondary phase. These materials are fabricated by first exposing nanoporous refractory metals to a reactive-gas environments, and then imbibing with a viscous phase that occupies the pore volume. The performance of these materials is governed by the length scale of the characteristic feature (the ligament diameter) – with smaller ligaments leading to superior performance – which can degrade via coarsening during service. In this talk we will discuss the synthesis of these materials, their overall performance at elevated temperatures, and governing kinetic equations describing their stability and decomposition. We will also provide an outlook on our processing method towards compositionally complex UHTC formulations. |