High temperature materials Materials with very low thermal conductivity and ability to withstand very high temperatures are very important in thermal protection systems in aerospace applications. Carbon and ceramics having high temperature capability need to be processed into highly porous structures to achieve light weight and high thermal insulation. The research at IIST focuses on the development of novel methods for processing of carbon and ceramic foams. We also undertake research on colloidal processing of ceramic powder for fabrication of near-net shape ceramic components