High temp. resistant reflecting body for use in space travel - comprising precious metal coating e.g. gold@, platinum@, etc., on ceramic support

The body comprises a highly reflecting precious metal coating on a ceramic support, the coating having an IR-permeable stabilising layer. The novelty is that the support is a rod or a fibre (10) of ceramic material. The support (24) can be made of ceramic fibres; or comprises a moulded body of ceramic or fibre-reinforced ceramic material whose surface is partially coated with precious metal layer (31) and stabilising layer (32); or is made of a foil (40) of ceramic or fibre-reinforced ceramic material coated on one or both sides with the precious metal (41) and stabilising (42) layers. The precious metal layer (11, 31, 41) is made of Au, Pt, or Rh; when it is Au, the stabilising layer is SiO, when it is Pt or Rh, the stabilising layer is Al2O3. An adhesive layer (33) is present between the ceramic support (30) and the precious metal layer (31); this layer (33) is SiO when between the support and an Au layer. USE/ADVANTAGE - A heat-protecting material of low wt. can be produced for use in space travel.