Self-locking micro/nanofiber–nanoparticle binary architectures toward elastic infrared stealth devices for ultra-high-temperature up to 1700 °C

Materials with excellent thermal resistance and infrared stealth capability have broad application potential in aerospace, national defense and military industries. Ceramic fiber aerogels are widely adopted infrared stealth materials owing to their outstanding high temperature resistance, low thermal conductivity, low bulk density and chemical stability. However, as advanced equipment continues to evolve, the environmental temperature encountered by some stealth materials exceeds 1500 °C. Existing aerogel materials are prone to structural collapse under such harsh conditions. This issue remains unresolved. Herein, ceramic fiber materials are successfully fabricated through a novel spinning process and an intracrystalline structure design strategy within fibers. These materials maintain excellent mechanical properties at 1700 °C. Subsequently, infrared stealth devices with excellent comprehensive performance are obtained by assembling three layered components. The bottom component is an aerogel with a self-locking micro/nanofiber structure. The middle component is an aerogel with a binary architecture composed of micro/nanofibers and SiC nanoparticles. The top component is an aluminum foil bonded to the middle component. Under an ultra-high temperature of 1700 °C, the cold surface exhibits an infrared radiation temperature of only 55 °C. Successful infrared stealth is achieved in extreme environments. After exposure to large temperature gradients from liquid nitrogen for 30 min to 1700 °C for 30 min, the devices still maintain excellent mechanical properties. Furthermore, they withstand 1000 cycles of compressive and shear deformation at 50% strain without dissociation under high-frequency vibration. This new generation of infrared stealth devices with outstanding structural stability, temperature resistance and thermal insulation capability can provide reliable safety protection for equipment and personnel.