Graphite Fiber Reinforced Mg EKV Sunshade for Be Replacement and Cost and Mass Reduction

"Mg alloys reinforced with high modulus graphite fibers have nearly 1.5 times the specific stiffness of beryllium. Since the EKV sunshade is a stiffness critical application, a sunshade manufactured from graphite fiber reinforced magnesium could weigh athird less than the current Be design. Using MMCC's net-shape Advanced Pressure Infiltration Casting (APICT) process, the sunshade would cost half as much, resulting in an $8- $10 million savings in procurement cost. In addition, lower mass will lead toincreased performance that could result in further cost savings and increased mission capability. This project, in collaboration with the EKV development contractor, will demonstrate the materials and environmental performance and cost effectiveness ofEKV sunshades manufactured from magnesium reinforced with high modulus graphite fibers. Success on this project would bring into focus a large number of other Be components for cost and mass savings. Beyond the structural and cost enhancements,Mg/graphite is non toxic and has none of the environmental and occupational health liabilities associated with melting, machining and handling of beryllium. With ordinary and well understood standard foundry practices, magnesium alloys are as easy to meltand cast as aluminum. Complex parts for MDA and DoD applications will be net-shape cast for a fraction of the cost of machined parts. Beryllium and AlBe will be replaced by cast discontinuous