STTR Phase I: Development of Fourth Generation High Temperature Materials

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop and characterize the structure property- processing relationships for a novel class of phenylethynyl terminated thermosetting polyimide/inorganic hybrid resins. There exists a growing need for polymer matrix composite (PMC) materials capable of 371-454C (700-900F) extended service life durability that: (i) are compatible with existing fabrication procedures (autoclave, resin transfer molding, resin infusion, etc.), (ii) exhibit at least equivalent mechanical performance and chemical resistance to state of the art polyimides, and (iii) can withstand the aggressive service environments of defense aerospace, missile, and NASA and Air Force launch vehicle applications. Materials with these properties do not presently exist, but are enabling for these and many other future systems. Current state of the art PMCs are limited to, at best, 343C (650F) extended service temperatures for aggressive environments required in defense applications, deep sea drilling, commercial aircraft engines, and reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology. Necessary balancing of processing and performance combined with fundamental limitations in organic chemistry yield this limit. This project's novel hybrid approach combines known structure-property-processing relationships of state of the art thermosetting polyimides developed at Air Force and NASA research laboratories with the current understanding of inorganic and organic/inorganic hybrid polymers provided by academia and industry. Building the proposed "Fourth Generation" materials from the molecular level represents a state of the art technology.