Ablation-Immune Thermal Armor Via Microstructural-Compatibility Design for Extreme Thermal Conditions

To overcome the brittleness and microstructural degradation of ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) in hypersonic thermal protection systems, this work develops a C/C-ZrC-SiC/ZrC-SiC composite via a microstructural-compatibility design that integrates reactive melt infiltration with supersonic atmospheric plasma spraying. Critically, this work strategically incorporated SiC as a dispersed phase in the ZrC coating to actively regulate the deposition thermodynamics and oxidation kinetics, which suppresses the formation of continuous, lamellar ZrO₂ interlayers and mitigates residual stress. Consequently, the designed composite demonstrates exceptional ablation resistance, withstanding oxyacetylene ablation (2200°C) for 3080 s and Ar-H₂ plasma ablation (2600°C) for 1500 s, while achieving an ultralow linear ablation rate on the order of 10^-5 mm s^-1. This work validates a microstructural-compatibility-led design principle, providing a foundational blueprint for developing thermal protection systems.