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Ceramic–polymer matrix composites are materials in which a ceramic phase is incorporated into or combined with a polymer matrix to form a two-phase system. This combination seeks to blend the high-temperature stability, hardness, and wear resistance of ceramics with the toughness, light weight, and processing ease of polymers. The term can refer to composites with ceramic fillers in a polymer matrix as well as to polymer-derived ceramic matrices used in ceramic matrix composites.

Composition and types: The matrix may be a polymer with ceramic particles or whiskers dispersed within it, creating a particle-reinforced or fiber-reinforced polymer composite. Alternatively, a polymer precursor can be converted in situ to a ceramic matrix (polymer-derived ceramic) that hosts reinforcing phases. The interfacial bonding between ceramic and polymer phases, as well as the volume fraction and distribution of the ceramic, strongly influence mechanical and thermal properties.

Processing and fabrication: Manufacturing methods include melt blending or solution mixing of fillers into polymers, prepregs and layup techniques for fiber-reinforced variants, and sol–gel or infiltration approaches for more uniform ceramic distribution. In polymer-derived ceramic routes, preceramic polymers are converted to ceramics through controlled pyrolysis, often yielding a continuous ceramic matrix within a composite.

Properties and applications: CPMCs can exhibit enhanced stiffness, hardness, thermal stability, and wear resistance while retaining advantageous toughness and impact resistance from the polymer matrix. They find use in aerospace components, thermal protection systems, wear parts, microelectronics packaging, and biomedical or dental materials, depending on the specific chemistries involved.

Challenges and outlook: Key challenges include achieving strong interfacial bonding, managing thermal expansion mismatch, processing costs, and long-term environmental stability. Ongoing research focuses on surface modification, hybrid matrices, and multi-scale modeling to optimize performance and manufacturability.