Development of Lower Cost High Temperature Composites for Hypersonic Tactical Missiles

MR&D proposes to develop and demonstrate lower cost versions of high temperature composites with suitable temperature ranges, which are capable of surviving the high temperature exposures of hypersonic flight while retaining sufficient strength for their specific applications. Low cost materials for various temperature regimes and therefore for various missile parts will be fabricated within the Phase I effort. A total of four different materials, each with different but associated processing conditions, will be processed. Four different flight time-temperature regimes and corresponding tactical missile part applications will evolve from the successful fabrication effort. Material properties of these materials, at both room and elevated temperature, will be measured. These properties will be used in mathematical models of candidate missile component applications, including fuselage sections and the leading edges of missile fins. Design analyses will be performed to determine expected temperature distributions, thermal and mechanical stress states. Stress margins of safety (MOS) will be calculated and compared with measured material strengths to determine viability of the lower cost alternative materials in these tactical missile applications.