image: This diagram summarizes the design strategy and superior performance of the newly developed dual-phase SiC composite (DS@4MBNS). The top schematic illustrates the fabrication of a dense, reinforced structure designed for efficient microwave absorption and simultaneous mechanical toughening through mechanisms like crack deflection and bridging. The radar chart (bottom left) highlights how DS@4MBNS (marked by the red star) breaks conventional material trade-offs, achieving an unprecedented balance of high flexural strength, fracture toughness, and electromagnetic absorption compared to other SiC-based ceramics. The charts on the bottom right quantify the significant improvements in minimum reflection loss and wider effective absorption bandwidth.
Credit: Journal of Advanced Ceramics, Tsinghua University Press
In the realm of advanced aerospace engineering, materials face a brutal ultimatum: they can be structurally robust to withstand extreme heat and pressure, or they can be "functional"—for instance, capable of absorbing electromagnetic waves for stealth purposes. Historically, combining these traits has been difficult. To absorb radar waves, materials often need to be porous, which makes them brittle and weak. Conversely, dense, strong ceramics typically reflect rather than absorb these waves.
Now, a research team led by Jun-Tong Huang from Nanchang Hangkong University in China has developed a scalable strategy to reconcile this conflict. They have successfully engineered a new type of ceramic composite that is not only significantly tougher than its predecessors but also acts as a high-performance electromagnetic absorber.
The team published their work in the Journal of Advanced Ceramics on January 22, 2026.
Their core innovation lies in designing an effective modification strategy of a dual-phase SiC matrix and a composite reinforcement phase dominated by multilayer boron nitride nanosheets (MBNS). While boron nitride is known for its thermal stability, processing it into high-quality nanosheets efficiently has been a hurdle. The researchers utilized a "protective exfoliation" method using three-roll milling to mass-produce high-integrity MBNS. These nanosheets were then integrated into a dual-phase silicon carbide (SiC) matrix through a carefully tailored sintering process.
"The trade-off between structural strength and functional performance has long plagued the development of stealth materials for extreme environments," said Jun-Tong Huang, professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanchang Hangkong University. "Our goal was to design a microstructure that could handle mechanical loads while simultaneously dissipating electromagnetic energy."
The results were striking. The optimized composite (DS@4MBNS) demonstrated a 94.5% increase in flexural strength (reaching 477 MPa) and a nearly 50% enhancement in fracture toughness (reaching 6.02 MPa·m1/2) compared to standard silicon carbide ceramics.
"The nanosheets act like microscopic reinforcements," explained Huang. "When cracks try to propagate through the ceramic, the horizontally aligned nanosheets deflect and bridge them, dissipating the energy that would otherwise cause the material to shatter."
But the material does more than just hold together. The unique architecture—comprising the semiconductor SiC matrix, the dielectric nanosheets, and conductive nickel silicide (Ni2Si) formed during processing—creates a complex network that traps and absorbs electromagnetic waves.
Tests showed the optimized composite showed exceptional EMA performance with a minimum reflection loss of -52.59 dB at 1.22 mm and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth of full Ku-band coverage (5.6 GHz) at 1.09 mm thickness. This indicates that it can absorb the majority of incident radar energy within the critical range applicable to satellite communications and radar systems.
"We essentially turned the material's internal interfaces into energy dissipation zones," Huang said. "The synergy between dielectric loss and magnetic loss allows the material to 'soak up' electromagnetic waves without requiring the structural porosity that usually weakens such materials."
This development opens new doors for the design of multifunctional armor, aero-engine blades, and nozzle liners that must survive high-temperature, high-stress environments while maintaining low observability.
Looking ahead, the team plans to further refine this "multiphase reinforcement strategy" for other ceramic systems. "This work presents a scalable pathway," Huang concluded. "Our ultimate goal is to move these structural-functional integrated composites from the lab to practical applications in aerospace and defense."
About Journal of Advanced Ceramics
Journal of Advanced Ceramics (JAC) is an international academic journal that presents the state-of-the-art results of theoretical and experimental studies on the processing, structure, and properties of advanced ceramics and ceramic-based composites. JAC is Fully Open Access, monthly published by Tsinghua University Press, and exclusively available via SciOpen. JAC’s 2024 IF is 16.6, ranking in Top 1 (1/33, Q1) among all journals in “Materials Science, Ceramics” category, and its 2024 CiteScore is 25.9 (5/130) in Scopus database. ResearchGate homepage: https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Journal-of-Advanced-Ceramics-2227-8508
Journal
Journal of Advanced Ceramics
Article Title
Facilitating structural strengthening and electromagnetic wave absorption functionalization of dual-phase SiC ceramics via MBNS-dominated multiphase reinforcement strategy
Article Publication Date
22-Jan-2026