ORGANIC LIQUIDS, MOISTURE AND CORROSIVE CHEMICALS IN SOLID ROCKET MOTORS

THE PRESENT ROCKET MOTOR LINER SYSTEMS, USUALLY MADE FROM THE SAME POLYMERIC MATERIALS, USED AS THE BINDER IN THE SOLID PROPELLANTS ARE PERMEABLE TO MOISTURE VAPOR AND TO THE RESIDUAL ORGANIC LIQUIDS AND CORROSIVE CHEMICAL FROM THE SOLID PROPELLANT. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL TRY TO DECREASE THIS PERMABILITY BY INVESTIGATING COMPOSITES OF KNOWN BARRIER FILM BETWEEN THE LINER MATERIALS. WE ALSO INTEND TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF INNOVATIVE BARRIER COATINGS AS IS, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF BARRIER FILLERS. IN A STEPWISE SCREENING AND EVALUATION, CANDIDATES COATINGS AND COMPOSITES WILL FIRST BE TESTED FOR PARMABILITY TO THE ORGANIC LIQUIDS IN QUESTION, AS WELL AS THE MOISTURE VAPOR TRANSMISSION. THE MOST PROMISING MATERIALS WILL THEN UNDERGO BONDING TESTS TO THE VARIOUS SUBSTRATE THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH. IN THE CASE OF FILMS, SEALING AND INSTALLING TECHNIQUES WILL ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. THE BEST SYSTEMS AS DETERMINED BY OUR STUDIES WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE AIR FORCE FOR INDEPENDENT EVALUATION.