The difficulty of reducing the diameter of lutetium oxide (Lu₂O₃) continuous fibers below 50 μm not only limits the flexibility of the sample but also seriously affects their application and development in high-energy lasers. In this work, a Lu-containing precursor with high ceramic yield was used as raw material, fiberized into precursor fibers by dry spinning. The pressure-assisted water vapor pretreatment (PAWVT) method was creatively proposed, and the effect of pretreatment temperature on the ceramization behavior of the precursor fibers was studied. By regulating the decomposition behavior of organic components in the precursor, the problem of fiber pulverization during heat treatment was effectively solved, and the Lu₂O₃ continuous fibers with a diameter of 40 μm were obtained. Compared with the current reported results, the diameter was reduced by about 50%, successfully breaking through the diameter limitation of Lu₂O₃ continuous fibers. In addition, the tensile strength, elastic modulus, flexibility, and temperature resistance of Lu₂O₃ continuous fibers were researched for the first time. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of Lu₂O₃ continuous fibers were 373.23 MPa and 31.55 GPa, respectively. The as-obtained flexible Lu₂O₃ continuous fibers with a limit radius of curvature of 3.5–4.5 mm had a temperature resistance of not lower than 1300 ℃, which established a solid foundation for the expansion of their application form in the field of high-energy lasers.

Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are generally referred to the carbides, nitrides, and borides of the transition metals, with the Group IVB compounds (Zr & Hf) and TaC as the main focus. The UHTCs are endowed with ultra-high melting points, excellent mechanical properties, and ablation resistance at elevated temperatures. These unique combinations of properties make them promising materials for extremely environmental structural applications in rocket and hypersonic vehicles, particularly nozzles, leading edges, and engine components, etc. In addition to bulk UHTCs, UHTC coatings and fiber reinforced UHTC composites are extensively developed and applied to avoid the intrinsic brittleness and poor thermal shock resistance of bulk ceramics. Recently, high- entropy UHTCs are developed rapidly and attract a lot of attention as an emerging direction for ultra-high temperature materials. This review presents the state of the art of processing approaches, microstructure design and properties of UHTCs from bulk materials to composites and coatings, as well as the future directions.