HAFNIUM DIBORIDE MATRIX CERAMIC COMPOSITES FOR HYPERSONIC LEADING EDGE STRUCTURES

REFRACTORY COMPOSITES, INC. PROPOSES TO CHEMICALLY VAPOR INFILTRATE HFB2 INTO A GRAPHITE FIBER STRUCTURE. INITIAL PROCESS EVALUATION TRIALS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY FLAT LAMINATE AND FOR .030 INCH RADIUS EDGES, FOLDED LAMINATE CONSTRUCTION UTILIZING FMI'S 3 MICRON GRAPHITE FIBER IN THE FORM OF 2D CLOTH. SEM AND IMMA ANALYSES WILL BE CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND TEST MATERIAL MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES TO UNDERSTAND AND CONTROL STOICHIOMETRY OF THE MATRIX AND PROVIDE UNDERSTANDING OF INFILTRATION UNIFORMITY, FIBER/ MATRIX INTERFACE CHARACTERISTICS AND DEPOSIT MORPHOLOGY.