Multicomponent (Zn0.1Ca0.1Sr0.4Ba0.4)ZrO3 porous ceramics for high-temperature insulation applications

Porous ceramics with ultralow thermal conductivity and robust thermal stability are critical for advanced hypersonic vehicles. However, sintering and phase transitions of these materials have been critical problems. To address these issues, herein, we report the synthesis of multicomponent (Zn 0.1 Ca 0.1 Sr 0.4 Ba 0.4 )ZrO 3 powders via solid-phase reaction and subsequent fabrication of sintering-resistant porous ceramics using a particle-stabilized foaming approach. By modulating solid loading (20–40 wt%), we achieved tailorable architectures with porosity levels of 81.6–92.3 % and compressive strengths of 0.97–4.50 MPa. The optimized material demonstrates ultralow room-temperature thermal conductivity (0.086–0.150 W/(m·K)), remarkably preserved at 0.232 W/(m·K) at 1000°C. Crucially, these ceramics exhibit exceptional thermomechanical stability with < 1 % linear shrinkage after 6 h heating at 1700°C and survive 200°C-quenching thermal shocks without catastrophic structural failure. These combined properties position (Zn 0.1 Ca 0.1 Sr 0.4 Ba 0.4 )ZrO 3 porous ceramics as a promising candidate for ultrahigh-temperature insulation in aerospace and energy systems.