Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article presents a structured comparative review of carbon-phenolic and carbon-elastomeric ablative composites used in thermal protection systems for aerospace and hypersonic applications. The review critically examines the influence of various ceramic, metallic oxide, and polymeric fillers on ablation behaviour, char formation, mechanical integrity, and erosion resistance. Reported studies employing oxy-acetylene torches, plasma wind tunnels, flames, and laser ablation are systematically analyzed using metrics such as linear ablation rate (LAR), mass ablation rate (MAR), heat flux, and exposure duration. The role of hybrid filler systems in enhancing char stability and thermal resistance is discussed through mechanistic correlations between filler chemistry, char microstructure, and ablation performance. Key challenges in data normalization and cross-comparison are highlighted. Finally, the article outlines specific future research directions, including multi-physics ablation modelling, AI-assisted material design, graded thermal protection architectures, and in-situ diagnostics, to advance the development of next-generation ablative composites.
Institution: Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Mathematics
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7133338457
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