A deep insight into the additively manufactured ceramics for aerospace applications

Abstract

The demand for additively manufactured ceramics in the aerospace industry is primarily driven by their high temperature resistance, lightweight properties, corrosion resistance, and the capability to integrate the manufacturing of complex structures. Such attributes enable the development of high-performance components, including engine hot-end parts, thermal protection systems, and satellite load-bearing elements, all of which are crucial for operating in extreme environments. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, including 3D printing techniques such as vat photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion and powder bed fusion, offer significant flexibility and precision in fabricating complex ceramic structures, providing clear advantages over traditional forming methods. Ceramic materials in communication systems are required to have a dielectric constant (ε_r) between 2 and 6, a high quality factor (Q) value >1000, and a frequency range of 2–50 GHz, with anti-jamming capability ≥90%, to ensure efficient and stable microwave signal transmission. For thermal protection, ceramics are required to withstand temperatures between 1000 and 3000 °C and have low thermal conductivity <0.5 W/(m·K) to reduce heat transfer. Challenges in controlling dimensional accuracy after ceramic sintering, compatibility issues in multi-material ceramics for aerospace applications, economic and scalability barriers in ceramic-based aerospace manufacturing, and the development trends and potential of 4D printing in aerospace technologies are addressed, along with opportunities for future advancements, including multifunctional materials and innovative manufacturing techniques for complex aerospace components.