Low Cost Ceramic-Lined Rocket Motor Case Design

In this phase I SBIR program, a team led by Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (ACR), and its partners propose the development of an innovative integral co-cured rocket motor casing comprised of a graphite/epoxy shell with a novel heat shield and linerfabricated from ACR's patented gelcasting ceramic material. The novel combination of materials will provide a unique synergy where the graphite/epoxy will provide structural rigidity, while the cured ceramic material will provide an ablative skin andmoisture protection to the structural graphite/epoxy layer, enabling long-term storage of the casing materials. The graphite-epoxy shell, the ceramic liner and ceramic shell reinforced with carbon fibers will be fabricated using a patented process. In thephase I program, the ACR led team will prove the concept and fabricate composite coupons. Additionally, ACR will develop guidelines and procedures for optimizing the performance of composite motor casings and provide a parametric analysis and preliminarycost/economic analysis for prototype rocket motor casings. In the phase II program, the ACR led team will scale up the manufacturing process for fabricating full-scale components.The material developed in this Phase I program will be evaluated for numberof high temperature applications. The ability to fabricate such components from a combination of polymer composites and ceramic composites would be advantageous to a number of customers who are contemplating the use of high temperature composite systemsbut cannot afford the cost of an all-ceramic component.