Structural composite materials with high strain capability

A composite material, comprising:

• nanotubes arranged together in an interconnected microstructure, wherein walls of adjacent nanotubes are in contact with each other at nanotube interconnections so that mechanical loads can be transferred from one nanotube to another;
• a ceramic binder material located along the walls of the nanotubes at the nanotube interconnections holding the nanotubes in contact with each other at the nanotube interconnections, wherein the nanotubes in contact with each other are not entangled with each other;
• and
• long fiber reinforcements embedded in the interconnected microstructure of nanotubes, wherein the nanotubes are dispersed throughout the composite material, including at locations away from the long fiber reinforcements, and
• wherein the material defined by the nanotubes and the binder material has a free volume in a range from about 50% to about 99%, a portion of the free volume being within the nanotubes and the remainder of the free volume being outside of the nanotubes.

A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material, comprising:

• a ceramic matrix material comprising hollow nanostructures;
• and
• ceramic fiber reinforcements embedded in the ceramic matrix material, the ceramic fiber reinforcements having a smallest cross-sectional dimension of at least 5 μm and an aspect ratio of at least 1000, wherein the ceramic matrix material and the ceramic fiber reinforcements are bound together at an interface between the matrix material and the ceramic fiber reinforcements to prevent relative movement at the interface,
• wherein the ceramic matrix material has a free volume in a range from about 50% to about 99%, a portion of the free volume being within the hollow nanostructures and the remainder of the free volume being outside of the hollow nanostructures, and
• wherein the hollow nanostructures are dispersed throughout the ceramic matrix material, including at locations away from the ceramic fiber reinforcements.