In the high-tech field, materials technology is one of the key enablers for the realization of other technologies. Among new materials, advanced ceramics have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional toughness, plasticity, wear resistance, impact resistance, stability at high temperatures, and outstanding electromagnetic, optical, and chemical functionalities.

The aerospace sector imposes extremely stringent requirements on material performance. Advanced ceramics, with their high-temperature strength, excellent fracture toughness, high hardness, high dielectric strength, outstanding thermal shock resistance, and superior tribological properties, are an excellent choice for aerospace applications. These materials ensure exceptional mechanical reliability, heat resistance, and wear resistance.

• Helicopter Armor

• Ceramic Bearings

• Infrared Camouflage and Stealth

• Radome Wave-Transparent Materials

• Satellite Batteries

• Anti-Oxidation Coatings

• Ceramic Substrates

• Spacecraft Shells

• Protective Windows for Infrared Systems

• Aero Engines

• High-Altitude Oxygen Generation

Given the emphasis on battlefield survivability in the design of armed helicopters, lightweight ceramic composite armor materials are employed in seats and critical parts of the helicopter. The specialized ceramics used in these applications primarily include alumina ceramics and boron carbide ceramics.

Alumina ceramics offer excellent insulation, non-flammability, corrosion resistance, and robust durability, making them less prone to damage. They share outstanding properties with other organic and metallic materials while exhibiting superior chemical corrosion resistance and molten metal tolerance. With a hardness comparable to corundum, their wear resistance rivals that of ultra-hard alloys.

Boron carbide, commonly known as synthetic diamond, is a boride with extremely high hardness. It can be used as a ceramic coating for warships and helicopters due to its lightweight nature and its ability to resist penetration by armor-piercing rounds, forming an integrated protective layer through thermal spray coating.

The former Soviet Mi-28 helicopter boldly utilized advanced ceramics as protective materials on its fuselage and cockpit exterior. The design features two layers of armor plating, with titanium alloy plates of considerable thickness sandwiched between them. Externally, large amounts of specialized ceramics were employed. The ceramic armor plates have only one-third the density of titanium alloy plates but more than double their defensive performance. Additionally, the cockpit is equipped with bulletproof glass capable of withstanding direct hits from 12.7 mm caliber bullets and fragments from 20 mm caliber autocannons.

Ceramic bearings are widely used in the aerospace industry due to their exceptional properties, including high temperature resistance, low temperature tolerance, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, magnetic and electrical insulation, and high rotational speed capability. These bearings are specifically developed for the demanding conditions of the aerospace industry, such as harsh environments, heavy loads, low temperatures, and lubrication-free operations. They represent the perfect combination of new materials, innovative processes, and advanced structural designs.

Ceramic infrared camouflage and stealth technology involves the use of infrared-functional ceramic materials to reduce or alter the infrared radiation characteristics of a target, thereby achieving low infrared detectability. These materials possess the ability to modify infrared radiation characteristics, exhibiting low infrared emissivity within atmospheric window bands. In infrared fields, they help blend the target’s infrared signature with the surrounding environment, achieving infrared terrain matching and minimizing the target’s infrared signature signals to the greatest extent.

Aerospace wave-transparent materials (radomes) are designed to protect spacecraft’s communication, telemetry, detonation, and guidance systems, ensuring their proper functioning under harsh environmental and climatic conditions. Porous silicon nitride ceramic materials offer low dielectric constant and dielectric loss, low density, good thermal insulation, appropriate strength, long service life, and relatively low radar wave absorption compared to other ceramic materials, making them highly suitable for aerospace wave-transparent applications.

To maximize the lifespan of satellite batteries, ceramic separator materials are required. Ceramic separators are made from composite materials such as rare earth elements, formed through vacuum fine mixing and high-temperature sintering. These separators are resistant to strong acids and alkalis and are insoluble in chromium acid bath solutions.

Carbon/carbon composite materials are widely used in aerospace for components like rocket engine nozzles and aircraft brake discs due to their unique properties. However, they are prone to oxidation in oxygen-rich environments above 400°C, which drastically reduces their performance. To address this, anti-oxidation ceramic coatings are applied, providing excellent physical and chemical stability to protect against oxidation.

During a rocket’s ascent through the atmosphere, significant external friction occurs, which affects internal sensors such as temperature and pressure sensors. The external forces generate substantial heat, and pressure sensors’ accuracy is critical. If internal circuit boards are damaged due to external forces, the sensor becomes useless. Zirconia ceramic substrates, with their high wear resistance and compressive strength, are ideal for preventing such damage.

High-temperature ceramic coatings such as HfB2, ZrB2, and ZrC are essential for enhancing the surface’s ablative resistance and resistance to atmospheric erosion, particularly for hypersonic vehicles. These ultra-high-temperature ceramics play a crucial role in improving the vehicle’s surface erosion resistance, making them irreplaceable for spacecraft surface protection.

This ceramic, composed of yttrium oxide and magnesium oxide, was jointly developed by young scholars from the Russian Far Eastern Federal University, the Russian Academy of Sciences Far East Branch Institute of Chemistry, the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences Institute of Single Crystals, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Silicate. It is used for infrared system protective windows in aerospace equipment, allowing over 70% transmission of infrared light below 6000 nm.

All engines operate based on the principle of the Carnot cycle, where higher gas temperatures result in higher efficiency. To improve the thrust-to-weight ratio and reduce fuel consumption in aerospace engines, increasing the turbine inlet temperature is key. Therefore, research into high-temperature structural ceramics and ceramic matrix composites has become critical for developing high thrust-to-weight ratio aero engines. European companies, like the European Engine Company, have taken the lead in manufacturing composite materials for rocket propulsion systems, with fiber ceramics now making up a significant portion of rocket and engine structures.

Modern flight missions often last for many hours, and combat aircraft cannot create an environment as adaptable for pilots as commercial airlines do. In cases of emergencies like cabin cover rupture, pilots must continue to fight at high altitudes. This necessitates continuous oxygen supply throughout the mission, both for regular flight conditions and in emergency situations. Therefore, specialized oxygen supply equipment ensures that pilots receive pure or enriched oxygen during long-duration missions and under emergency conditions.