Time-Temperature Superposition for Predicting Reliability of Age-Sensitive BMDS Parts

The useful lifespan of emerging state-of-the-art materials, or legacy materials that remain dormant within complex missile systems for long periods, are often unknown when actual lifetime service data is not available. This leads to unreliability, limitations on advancing system technology, and unnecessary maintenance. In support of the MDA"s Stockpile Reliability Program, NanoSonic offers our expertise in developing master curves for viscoelastic BMDS components as a proven systematic approach to accelerated aging testing for long-term durability predictions. Arrhenius time-temperature superposition (TTS) measurements will be conducted to predict the service life for polymer materials and electronic parts within current missile systems. During Phase I, feasibility of predicting the shelf-life of polymer missile parts shall be established by conducting real time aging testing in conjunction with accelerated aging studies to build confidence in the TTS shift curve results. A systematic approach to documenting system status, predicting system failures, and determining expiration dates of inactive parts shall be conveyed to the MDA during Phase II. This approach shall then be utilized on complex payloads and verified relative to naturally aged components. TRL 9 shall be achieved upon successful reliability assessments that reduce unnecessary costly inspections of multifaceted military and commercial systems.