Space has inspired human awe and curiosity for millennia, and the last century saw humans finally free themselves from the pull of Earth to begin exploring this final frontier.1
As humans continue to push the boundaries of space travel, though, the need for improved thermal management technology grows more evident. Hypersonic vehicles, or those that travel at more than five times the speed of sound, are expected to enable timely travel across continents and even to far-distant celestial bodies. But traveling at such speeds generates extreme heat, which the vehicle must be protected against.2
China has led research and development on hypersonic technologies during the past 20 years.3 But the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is starting to pour more funding and attention into this area, with the Pentagon requesting $6.9 billion for hypersonic research in its fiscal year 2025 budget request—up from $4.7 billion in the fiscal year 2023 request.4
With hypersonic research taking the stage again, increased awareness of and training on the materials that enable hypersonic technologies is crucial to the success of future space endeavors. The American Ceramic Society has a role to play in these efforts.
In January 2024, the Department of Defense Cornerstone Consortium under the DOD Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program and the National Imperative for Industrial Skills initiative awarded ACerS a contract to develop a sustainable, targeted, workforce training program on the science and engineering of materials for hypersonic applications. ACerS has partnered with the United States Advanced Ceramics Association (USACA), a 501(c)(6) trade association, on the effort.
Materials for hypersonics: A brief history of UHTCs
Of the materials covered in the Hypersonic Materials Training Program, ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a main focus.5 UHTCs are a set of refractory ceramics with melting points above 3,000°C. They have the formulation M–X, where M is an early transition metal, such as zirconium and hafnium, and X is either boron, carbon, or nitrogen.
Although scientists have known about UHTCs since the 1800s, the first breakthrough in utilizing these materials took place during the U.S.–Soviet Union Space Race in the 1950s and 1960s, when scientists were looking for materials that could serve as rocket motors, heat shields, and other structural components for spacecraft.5 Scientists learned much about the fundamental properties of UHTCs during this time, but interest in UHTCs soon dwindled after the end of a research program funded by the U.S. Air Force Materials Laboratory.6
In the late 1980s, UHTCs regained popularity as scramjet propulsion, hypersonic aerospace vehicles, and advanced rocket motors became focal points in sustained hypersonic flight.5 Nowadays, the fervor for space travel and exploration has cemented interest in UHTCs.
Since the early 2000s, researchers have worked to improve the fracture toughness, oxidation resistance, and thermal conductivity of UHTCs.7 Once optimized, these materials are expected to be used along the leading edges of hypersonic vehicles, such as wings and nose tips.
ACerS–USACA Hypersonic Materials Training Program: Course structure and 2025 plans
The ACerS–USACA Hypersonic Materials Training Program consists of virtual and in-person short courses held around the country to equip industry professionals, national laboratories, DOD agencies, and others with knowledge about the materials used in hypersonic technologies and their applications. The program hopes to reach those working outside of academia to fill in any potential knowledge gaps.
The first course in the program took place in January 2024 in St. Augustine, Fla., at the Composites, Materials & Systems Conference (CMS). Instructed by professor Rodney Trice of Purdue University, this course focused on ultrahigh-temperature materials and their properties.
The next course took place in May 2024 at the NSMMS-CRASTE Joint Symposia in Madison, Wis. Instructed again by Trice, along with Mark Opeka of Kratos SRE and John Schmisseur of the University of Tennessee Space Institute, the course focused on materials selection and their manufacture as well as traditional and dynamic testing methods.
The last course of 2024 took place in December at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Instructed by Schmisseur and David Lipke of Missouri University of Science and Technology, this course focused on ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials, properties, and manufacturing.
January 2025 brings Trice back to the CMS conference in Florida to instruct an extended version of his course, this time focusing on the materials science and engineering of UHTC materials, CMCs (including carbon–carbon composites), and some refractory metals to support the design of hypersonic technologies. Also this month, Trice is scheduled to host two half-day virtual hypersonic course to help ensure accessibility for those who are interested.
To learn more about the Hypersonic Materials Training Program and get involved, visit https://ceramics.org/education/hypersonic-training-program. Questions can be sent to Amanda Engen, ACerS director of communications and workforce development, at aengen@ceramics.org.
About ACerS
Founded in 1898, The American Ceramic Society is the leading professional membership organization for ceramic and materials scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, and students. For more information, visit https://ceramics.org.
About USACA
Founded in 1985, the U.S. Advanced Ceramics Association champions the business interests of the advanced ceramic producers and end-users. Its members range from the largest U.S. industrial companies to smaller corporations dedicated to the manufacture of advanced ceramic products. For more information, visit https://advancedceramics.org.
Cite this article
H. Widman, “Pushing boundaries in aerospace: Inside ACerS–USACA Hypersonic Materials Training Program,” Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull. 2025, 104(1): 30–31.
Issue
Category
- Manufacturing
Article References
1T. Pultarova and J. Carter, “Astronomy: Everything you need to know,” SPACE.com. Published 25 July 2023. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
2K. G. Bowcutt, “Flying at the edge of space and beyond: The opportunities and challenges of hypersonic flight,” Summer Bridge Issue on Aeronautics 2020, 50(2): 51–58.
3D. Rovella, “China leads the world in hypersonic technology,” Bloomberg. Published 12 March 2024. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
4“Hypersonic weapons: Background and issues for Congress,” Congressional Research Service. Published 14 Aug. 2024. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
5W. G. Fahrenholtz and G. E. Hilmas, “Ultra-high temperature ceramics: Materials for extreme environments,” Scripta Materialia 2017, 129: 94–99.
6S. M. Johnson, M. Gasch, J. W. Lawson, M. I. Gusman, and M. M. Stackpoole, “Recent developments in ultrahigh-temperature ceramics at NASA Ames.” Presented at the 16th AIAA/DLR/DGLR International Space Planes & Hypersonic Systems & Technologies Conference, October 2009.
7B. C. Wyatt, S. K. Nemani, G. E. Hilmas, E. J. Opila, and B. Anasori, “Ultra-high temperature ceramics for extreme environments,” Nature Reviews Materials 2024, 9: 773–789.
Related Articles
Bulletin Features
Celebrating 30 years of leadership: A look at ACerS past women presidents
When Monica Ferraris was sworn in as ACerS president during ACerS Annual Meeting at MS&T24, she joined a long line of women presidents that welcomed its first inductee 30 years ago, when Carol Jantzen was announced as president-elect in 1995. Oh, Sulfur Sodium Phosphorus! This Bulletin content is for ACerS…
Bulletin Features
High-temperature advancements: New class of oxidation-resistant silicon carbide
With advances in transportation technologies and energy systems, today’s electrical, structural, and electronic ceramics are increasingly expected to perform well at higher and higher temperatures. Silicon carbide (SiC), with its high thermal conductivity and high-temperature mechanical strength, may offer a solution to this market need.1 Oh, Sulfur Sodium Phosphorus! This…
Bulletin Features
Industrial applications for ultrahigh-temperature ceramics
Due to the current race in advancing hypersonic technologies,1,2 a class of materials known as ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) has gained research momentum. UHTCs are a class of materials comprised of borides, carbides, and nitrides of transition metals that, as the naming suggests, have high melting points, generally above 2,000°C. The…