C3HARME
(Grant Agreement No. 685594) is a EU Horizon 2020 project focused on developing a new class of Ultra High Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites (UHTCMCs). These hybrid materials combine carbon fibres with ultra-refractory ceramic matrices, offering scalability, reliability, and self-healing capability for extreme-environment applications.

The project targets two main fields:
– thermal protection systems
– nozzle inserts for solid and hybrid rocket motors.

Four manufacturing routes for UHTCMCs were developed and benchmarked. The CNR-ISTEC technology emerged as the most promising, achieving high performance above 2000°C.

A TRL of 6 was reached for propulsion nozzles, with UHTCMC inserts tested in small and medium-scale motors without significant erosion or structural damage. For thermal protection, stagnation tests—including on a 190 × 240 × 4 mm³ panel—were successfully performed in a plasma facility, achieving TRL 5.

Overall, UHTCMCs show strong potential for applications between 1500 and 3000°C, with excellent reusability. Future work will focus on higher-TRL integrated structures and graded-composition systems to further enhance structural strength and surface protection.