Novel hybrid zirconium-silicone resin as high-temperature adhesive and an insight into the thermal resistance mechanism

• The zirconium-silicone resin synthesized by a two-step sol–gel method. • The residual weight had a drastic enhancement of 168.2% at 1000 ℃ under argon atmosphere. • The bonding strength increased by 296.1% and 92.8% at room temperature and ablation after 1200 ℃, respectively. • A suitable phase diagram showing the structural crystal transformation under high temperature was investigated. • The mechanism for the superior heat resistance of the novel hybrid resin was investigated. The development of adhesive materials with excellent heat resistance is urgently to ensure the performance of advanced equipment at extreme environments up to 1500 ℃. In the present work, a novel hybrid zirconium-silicone resin (ZAS resin) was synthesized via the addition of zirconium n-propoxide (ZTP) as a structural control component in copolycondensation with alkoxysilanes. Thermal properties revealed that the addition of Zr significantly improved the heat resistance. The residual weight was increased by 168.2%, from initial 31.58 wt% to 84.71 wt%, at 1000 ℃ under Argon atmosphere. A suitable phase diagram showing the structural crystal transformation under high temperature was proposed. The bonding strength of ZAS33 resin increased 296.1% and 92.8% at room temperature and after ablation at 1200 ℃ for 0.5 h, respectively. The underlying mechanisms accounted for the improvements were discussed and correlated to the zirconium content. The resin exhibited extraordinary storage stability at least 6 months, which greatly broadened the application prospects of ZAS resin as high-temperature resistant bonding materials.