Low Temperature Fabrication Method for Lower Weight Rockets

Use of very high strength cold work or age hardened metallic materials for advanced rocket components, and preliminary low temperature joining experiments to show feasibility are proposed. The proposed approach to rocket component manufacturing should assure optimum material properties, most importantly highest strengths, in advanced rocket structures thus leading to significantly lighter components. High temperature joining methods such as brazing, welding, and diffusion bonding reduce strengths by causing recrystallization or over-aging of alloys frequently used in the manufacture of advanced rockets. Because of lowered strength, section thicknesses in structural components are frequently increased leading to higher component weights. The proposed improvement in the dry-weight of rockets would most likely be between 20 and 50%. The proposed fabrication methods relies on low temperatures joining and shaping processes to preserve high strength of materials used. In Phase I, low temperature bonding processes will be developed for joining of two typical rocket engine materials. An assessment of the potential weight savings possible for a typical advanced rocket will also be made. In Phase demonstrate weight savings under service-like loading.