Increasing both strength and toughness in ceramic-matrix composites via bioinspired porous interphases
5 affiliations
- 1Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, P.R. China
- 2Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, P.R. China. [email protected]
- 3Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, P.R. China. [email protected]
- 4College of Civil Aviation, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, P.R. China. [email protected]
- 5College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, P.R. China
Abstract
Ceramic-matrix composites face a persistent challenge: the trade-off between strength and toughness. Inspired by the mineral bridge architecture of nacre, we propose a reverse interphase design that contrasts with conventional dense-laminar pyrolytic carbon given the active incorporation of nanopores. Multiscale characterization and simulations reveal a dual reinforcement mechanism: nanopores reduce the interfacial debonding strength and induce crack deflection that protects fibers from brittle fracture. Meanwhile, the resulting rough fracture paths enhance interfacial frictional stress and load transfer, thereby improving the matrix bearing capacity and energy dissipation. This asymmetric modulation of interfacial properties simultaneously preserves fiber integrity and maximizes energy dissipation. The resulting single-tow Cf/SiC composites exhibit 903 MPa tensile strength, which is 38% higher than that of conventional designs, and a 1.8-fold increase in fracture energy. The interphase-enabled mechanisms identified here are intrinsically scalable, with their effectiveness further demonstrated in architectured ceramic-matrix composites. This work demonstrates a shift from empirical optimization toward theory-driven interface design and establishes a viable route to overcome the classical strength–toughness dilemma in structural composites. Ceramic composites are prone to breaking. Here, authors propose a bioinspired porous interphase that guides crack deflection and growth, coupling weak debonding with high friction to enhance load transfer, energy dissipation, strength and toughness.
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BibTeX
@article{hong2026increasing,
title = {{Increasing both strength and toughness in ceramic-matrix composites via bioinspired porous interphases}},
author = {Wang Hong and Xu Pang and Han Yan and Zheyi Zhang and Longbiao Li and Zhongwei Zhang and Daining Fang},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-75001-z},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75001-z},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Increasing both strength and toughness in ceramic-matrix composites via bioinspired porous interphases
AU - Wang Hong
AU - Xu Pang
AU - Han Yan
AU - Zheyi Zhang
AU - Longbiao Li
AU - Zhongwei Zhang
AU - Daining Fang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/30
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-75001-z
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75001-z
AB - Ceramic-matrix composites face a persistent challenge: the trade-off between strength and toughness. Inspired by the mineral bridge architecture of nacre, we propose a reverse interphase design that contrasts with conventional dense-laminar pyrolytic carbon given the active incorporation of nanopores. Multiscale characterization and simulations reveal a dual reinforcement mechanism: nanopores reduce the interfacial debonding strength and induce crack deflection that protects fibers from brittle fracture. Meanwhile, the resulting rough fracture paths enhance interfacial frictional stress and load transfer, thereby improving the matrix bearing capacity and energy dissipation. This asymmetric modulation of interfacial properties simultaneously preserves fiber integrity and maximizes energy dissipation. The resulting single-tow Cf/SiC composites exhibit 903 MPa tensile strength, which is 38% higher than that of conventional designs, and a 1.8-fold increase in fracture energy. The interphase-enabled mechanisms identified here are intrinsically scalable, with their effectiveness further demonstrated in architectured ceramic-matrix composites. This work demonstrates a shift from empirical optimization toward theory-driven interface design and establishes a viable route to overcome the classical strength–toughness dilemma in structural composites. Ceramic composites are prone to breaking. Here, authors propose a bioinspired porous interphase that guides crack deflection and growth, coupling weak debonding with high friction to enhance load transfer, energy dissipation, strength and toughness.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -