@article{Liu2025, 
author = {Yuxuan Liu and Hui Wang and Jianchao Hao and Yuan Cheng and Shun Dong and Ping Hu and Wenbo Han and Xinghong Zhang},
title = {Key materials for extreme high-temperature environments: Ultra-high-temperature ceramics and their composites},
year = {2025},
journal = {Extreme Materials},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {38-66},
keywords = {Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), Hypersonic vehicles, Oxidation and ablation, Extreme environments materials, Toughening and strengthening},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.exm.2025.01.001},
doi = {10.1016/j.exm.2025.01.001},
abstract = {With the advancement of hypersonic vehicles, extreme high temperature environments have imposed increasingly stringent requirements on the performance of thermal protection systems. Consequently, the development of high-performance thermal protection materials capable of withstanding extreme conditions has become a primary focus of current research. Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) and their composites, known for their excellent oxidation resistance and ablation performance, are regarded as highly promising non-ablative thermal protection materials. This paper provides a systematic review of recent research progress on UHTC composites in several key areas, including innovations and optimizations in fabrication processes, exploration of toughening strategies and mechanisms, in-depth studies on oxidation and ablation resistance mechanisms, and the development and potential applications of high-entropy ceramics. Furthermore, the paper discusses the practical application prospects of UHTCs and their composites in extreme environments, analyzes the current technical challenges, and proposes future research directions and priorities.}
}