Foamed Composite Cases for Solid Rocket Motors with Insensitive Munitions

For missile and rockets, any accident during transportation, normal handling, routine operations, or as the result of terrorist or battle stimuli can be devastating. Most rocket motor cases are fabricated from metal alloys. Recent studies have shown that fiber-reinforced polymeric composite cases for tactical and strategic rocket motors applications can significantly enhance their performance by great gains in strength/stiffness to weight ratios, ballistic resistant, corrosion resistant, and more favorable reactions to insensitive munitions stimuli. In this Phase I STTR project Wright Materials Research Co. will team up with University of Texas at Austin and ATK Thiokol to fabricate, model, and test a new design of lightweight composite case for MDA's insensitive munitions applications. In particular, we will develop and manufacture a prototype section of a solid rocket case, develop a modeling capability, and correlate the predictions with experimental results including heat transfer (insulation), internal pressure loading, and the scalability of the composite case technology. In addition to all the advantages offer by composite technology, the proposed novel design of motor case also will greatly improve the vibration and impact resistant capabilities, and will significantly reduce thermal stimuli to the munitions. Our preliminary studies have evidenced the ballistic resistant, thermal insulation, and lightweight characteristics. If successfully developed, the proposed lightweight composite motor cases would have an immediate niche market in missiles, rockets, and the shipping and transportation of explosives.