Why Defense and Aerospace Industries Are Betting on Advanced Ceramic Materials

Advanced ceramic materials have become engineering marvels that enable innovation. They have caught the attention of professionals in the aerospace and defense industries, particularly because such applications generally require materials that can withstand extreme conditions.

What Are Advanced Ceramic Materials?

Unlike traditional ceramics, which are usually clay-based, these alternatives feature inorganic, high-purity, human-made materials. Brittleness, low tensile strength and poor resistance to thermal shocks are some of the main disadvantages of conventional ceramics. Engineers have overcome many of these challenges by developing advanced creations with the most desirable properties.

Material failures that occur on the battlefield, in the sky or during missions to outer space could also have catastrophic consequences, pushing product developers to explore ways to prevent them whenever possible. Succeeding also advances a national security angle, especially if inventions using advanced ceramics give certain countries an advantage over their adversaries or enable them to develop high-tech aircraft and defense products faster than their peers.

Why Do the Military and Defense Industries Choose Advanced Ceramics?

One report indicated that the advanced ceramic market was valued at an estimated $107 billion in 2023, and that it would show a 4.2% compound annual growth rate between 2024 and 2030. That research also indicated that the aerospace industry has become interested in these materials because they are lighter than metals, enabling longer space trips, lower fuel consumption, faster speeds and larger payloads.

The analysts concluded that the aerospace industry would contribute to significant growth opportunities and the market across the forecasted period. The coverage also mentioned how a 2023 increase in funds authorized for Navy shipbuilding stimulated the market and will contribute to the anticipated statistics.

Military leaders could also appreciate that some classes of advanced ceramics may enable soldiers to continue powering critical equipment in isolated areas or in locations with limited infrastructure. For example, textured piezoceramics are commercially available and offer favorable piezoelectric properties for energy-harvesting applications.

Many soldiers’ roles require hours of daily movement, opening the opportunity to capture that motion and use it to power emergency generators or other critical assets. Such creations could make the difference between successful missions and disappointing ones. It could also provide much-needed flexibility for complex plans with power requirements that conventional batteries and electronics cannot meet.

In one academic paper, researchers developed a simple piezoelectric generator using ceramic materials embedded in the insoles of soldiers’ boots. The design also featured a conditioning circuit that gathers, stores and regulates the power generated through movement. Experiments showed that a user walking for an hour at 40 steps per minute could create 2.1 joules of energy. Although it was just a prototype, that outcome emphasizes why having large numbers of troops use similar technologies could have game-changing effects on power needs.

Real-World Advancements Shaping Aerospace and Defense

Many pioneering developments take years to come to fruition, and it is not always clear whether those efforts will pay off by becoming commercially viable. Even so, significant activity in advanced ceramic materials offers decision-makers in the aerospace and defense industries many options to consider as they try to stay ahead of the curve. Some of these advancements are among the most promising.

Creating Ceramics to Resist Ultrahigh Temperatures

Defense and aerospace applications may both require materials that can tolerate extremely high temperatures. University researchers discovered they can create them using a new laser-based technique. They can apply it to produce ceramic coatings, complex three-dimensional structures, or tiles, giving designers greater versatility in developing new devices and technologies. One of the participating researchers explained that the work centered on an ultrahigh-temperature ceramic called hafnium carbide.

Working with it usually requires turning the raw materials into ceramics by putting them in an extremely hot furnace. However, the time-consuming and energy-intensive nature of this process prompted the researchers to seek more viable alternatives.

This new approach occurs in an inert environment and requires applying a 120-watt laser to the surface of a liquid polymer precursor. The laser then turns the liquid into a solid ceramic. Parties utilizing this method can also apply the liquid precursor as a structural coating, including the carbon composites that have become popular for hypersonic technologies, such as missiles and space exploration vehicles.

The researchers also clarified that another way to use their sintering technique to make advanced ceramics relates to 3D printing and supports a technique similar to stereolithography. This method requires a table-mounted laser that sits in a liquid precursor bath. They mentioned that their approach offers excellent portability compared to traditional furnace-based options. That characteristic could make the innovation more marketable overall.

Printing Ceramics to Handle Hypersonic Flight

Specialists who develop advanced ceramic materials must carefully consider the various factors that may cause their innovations to degrade prematurely or perform unexpectedly. It is also essential for them to find production methods that meet the needs of those who will eventually rely on the ceramics.

In one example, researchers at an applied research institute are working on additive manufacturing processing methods that could use 3D printing to create ceramics featuring complex shapes.  Previous research into these materials has shown that they are ideal for hypersonic flights because they are less likely to crack or wear down under the demanding conditions.

Creating ceramics involves a process called digital light processing, which uses a projector to shine ultraviolet light onto a slurry of ceramic powder and resin. The light has a curing effect that locks the powder into position and builds a component layer by layer. Those familiar with this method say it provides precision on the micron scale and can create intricate designs with extremely smooth surfaces. Those characteristics offer numerous opportunities for forward-thinking researchers interested in advancing aerospace and defense.

A Bright Future in Innovation

Many of the world’s most impressive advancements would be impossible without progress in advanced ceramic materials. These options make high-tech planes and spacecraft lighter, increasing their capabilities. People are also interested in applying piezoelectric versions to battlefield applications for improved power versatility.

Regardless of the specific directions taken, scientists, engineers, designers and others must keep open minds and encourage themselves to think creatively as they apply their skills to solve problems and turn fascinating concepts into realities. Even the efforts that do not result in commercial success may still pave the way for others in the field and help them find realistic alternatives.