Dynamics and Thermal Transport of CFRPs Enabled by Hybrid Metallic–Ceramic Interfacial Design

  • Sharif, Md Newaz (University of Science and Technology of China)
  • Wang, Pengfei (University of Science and Technology of China)
  • Jibrel, Kassaw D (University of Science and Technology of China)
  • Xu, Songlin (University of Science and Technology of China)

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Carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are key structural materials for lightweight aerospace and high-speed applications, yet their performance rapidly degrades when high strain-rate deformation coincides with elevated temperature [1-3]. In particular, matrix softening and fiber–matrix interfacial failure severely limit impact resistance beyond the epoxy glass transition regime. Addressing this challenge requires interfacial designs that can simultaneously accommodate dynamic deformation and constrain thermally induced damage. In this study, we report a hierarchical surface-engineering approach that stabilizes CFRP interfaces under coupled high strain-rate and high-temperature loading. Carbon fiber laminates were modified using a dual-layer architecture consisting of a nanoscale gold–palladium (Au/Pd) coating and a microscale SiO₂-based ceramic interphase. This metallic–ceramic framework is designed to balance interfacial compliance and thermal constraint, enabling controlled stress transfer during rapid loading while suppressing thermal expansion mismatch. Dynamic compression experiments were conducted using split Hopkinson pressure bar testing at ~3000 s⁻¹ over a temperature range of 25–225 °C. The hybrid-modified composites exhibit significantly enhanced strength retention, delayed softening behavior, and markedly increased energy absorption at elevated temperature. At 225 °C, the hierarchical interface enables more than a twofold increase in peak strain energy density relative to as-prepared laminates, alongside sustained post-yield load-bearing capability. Microstructural investigations using scanning electron microscopy and CT computed tomography reveal reduced interlaminar separation, limited crack propagation, and improved interfacial cohesion in the hybrid system, consistent with the formation of continuous heat-transfer pathways across the interface. Complementary finite-element simulations incorporating temperature-dependent interfacial damage models capture the observed deformation and failure evolution. The results demonstrate that synergistic metallic–ceramic interfacial architectures provide an effective route to simultaneously improving impact tolerance, thermal stability, and thermal conductivity of CFRPs, offering practical implications for impact-critical aerospace structures operating in extreme environments.