Low Cost Fabrication of THAAD Heatshields Using Placed Fiber Manufacturing

A program is proposed to investigate and demonstrate an innovative, low cost approach to the production of quartz/phenolic (Q/P) heatshields such as those presently used on the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System. These heatshields arecurrently fabricated with a tape wrap process using a woven quartz fabric impregnated with phenolic resin. Through the novel use of placed fiber techniques, one or more steps in the production process could be eliminated.Phase I efforts will verify the feasibility of using quartz fibers and phenolic resins with placed fiber fabrication equipment. Placed fiber composite panels will be fabricated and then physical, mechanical and thermal property screening tests will beperformed to verify that the composite is acceptable for heatshield applications. The significant cost benefits of the novel process will also be demonstrated. In Phase II follow on, tape wrap articles would be fabricated and the low cost composites would be fully characterized to show that the Q/P composite can meet the physical, mechanical and thermal properties required by specific heatshield requirements.The direct benefit will be lower cost quartz/phenolic composites for DoD applications such as heatshields and thermal protection systems. Significant cost reductions should also lead to commercial aerospace applications where high temperatures arepresent. In addition, the composite can be used in fire protection applications.