IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE INCREASED EFFICIENCY, LIFE, AND PERFORMANCE, ROCKET ENGINES REQUIRE OPERATION AT HIGHER AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES.

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE INCREASED EFFICIENCY, LIFE, AND PERFORMANCE, ROCKET ENGINES REQUIRE OPERATION AT HIGHER AND HIGHER TEMPERATURES. IN ORDER TO OBTAIN SUFFICIENT STRENGTH AT THESE TEMPERATURES, THE REFRACTORY METALS SUCH AS MOLYBDENUN, TUNGSTEN, TANTALUM, NIOBIUM, AND RHENIUM MUSTBE USED TO FABRICATE THE PARTS WHICH WILL BE EXPOSED TO THESE TEMPERATURES. THESE METALS AND THEIR STRUCTURALLY IMPORTANT ALLOYS HAVE NOTORIOUSLY POOR RESISTANCE TO OXIDATION IN THE TEMPERATURE RANGE WHERE THEIR STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS ARE VITALLY NEEDED. PROTECTION, IN THE FORM OF COATINGS, FROM THE OXIDIZING ENVIRONMENT IS CRUCIAL FOR SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. CURRENT COATING TECHNOLOGY IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE SATISFACTORY OPERATION. NEW OXIDATION RESISTANT COATING MATERIALS AND PROCESSES MUST BE DEVELOPED WHICH WILL PERMIT OPERATION IN THE 500 DEGREE C TO2000 DEGREE C TEMPERATURE RANGE. THE PLATINUM GROUP METALS OFFER A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS AS OXIDATION RESISTANT COATING MATERIALS. ULTRAMET PROPOSES TO DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGY REQUIRED TO CHEMICALLY VAPOR DEPOSIT DENSE, ADHERENT COATINGS OF IRIDIUM AND TO DETERMINE ITS OXIDATION PROTECTIVE TEMPERATURE RANGE. PHASE II WILL EXPAND THE EFFORT TO CVD THE OTHER PLATINUM GROUP METALS.