Smart material design in aerospace: unveiling the hidden potential in advanced additive manufacturing SiC composites

Smart materials are vital for the rapid advancement of aerospace. To date, additive manufacturing (AM) has empowered the dynamic-stimuli-responsive bio-inspired and metamaterial structures of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) to achieve groundbreaking applications. Smart SiC composites, particularly those applied in extreme conditions of high temperature and load, as well as strong electromagnetic interference, have an urgent demand for development and application. The challenges such as poor powder flowability, limited densification, microcrack evolution, and unstable structural–electromagnetic coupling at high temperatures are still seriously affected both mechanical reliability and electromagnetic adaptability. Recent advances in powder modification, dopant engineering, and hierarchical microstructure design have improved sinter ability and impedance matching, while optimized process parameters and post-sintering treatments have enhanced strength and toughness. Meanwhile, digital twin–driven monitoring systems and in-situ sensing technologies offer new opportunities to establish adaptive feedback loops, enabling real-time correction of processing deviations and intelligent defect suppression. Furthermore, the synergistic interactions between innovative material design, process optimization, and real-time monitoring were discussed. A new integrative framework that connects raw material modification, process optimization, and online monitoring to enable high-quality AM of smart SiC composites was presented. It constitutes a comprehensive strategy for high-quality additive manufacturing of smart SiC composites, thereby paving the way for the advancement of smart materials.