Thermally insulated C/SiC/SiBCN composite ceramic aerogel with enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption performance

Thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption integrated materials with lightweight are highly desirable in hypersonic vehicles and military application, as they provide both aerodynamic heat resistance and EMW stealth capability. Herein, a C/SiC/SiBCN ceramic composite aerogel was developed using a novel strategy combining in situ chemical vapor deposition of SiC nanofibers with the polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) aerogel method. The microstructure, phase composition, thermal insulation, mechanical properties and EMW absorption performances of the composite aerogel were thoroughly investigated. The resulting C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel with three impregnation-pyrolysis cycles demonstrates improved mechanical properties, with the compressive strength increasing from 0.21 MPa to 0.48 MPa compared to pure SiBCN aerogel. Additionally, the composite aerogel shows a low thermal conductivity of 0.049 W/mK and a low density of 0.116 g/cm 3 . Moreover, the C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel exhibits outstanding EMW absorption properties, achieving a minimum reflection loss of −45.7 dB and an effective bandwidth of 5.3 GHz. Owing to the integration of EMW absorption and thermal insulation properties, the C/SiC/SiBCN composite aerogel offers promising potential for developing integrated microwave absorption and thermal insulation materials for high-speed vehicles.