PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF P/M TITANIUM TECHNOLOGY FOR ECONOMICAL MANUFACTURE OF TITANIUM PROPELLANT TANKS

DYNAMET TECHNOLOGY INC. WILL DEVELOP AND FABRICATE A SUBSIZE PRPTOTYPE TI-6AL-4V ALLOY GAS GENERATOR/PROPELLANT TANK PREFORM USING ADVANCED POWDER METAL TECHNOLOGY. THE PROTOTYPE COMPONENT, ALONG WITH TEST BARS, WILL BE FABRICATED BY COLD ISOSTATIC PRESSING, VACUUM SINTERING AND HOT ISOSTATIC PRESSING (CHIP PROCESS). IN ADDITION TO PRODUCING THESE COMPONENTS BY CHIP PROCESSING, HEAT TREATMENT STUDIES WILL BE CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE HIGHEST STRENGTH LEVELS POSSIBLE. THE FABRICATED GAS GENERATOR TANK WILL BE HYDROTESTED TO FAILURE AS AN IN-SERVICE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION. THESE RESULTS WILL BE COMPARED WITH THOSE OBTAINED FROM TENSILE TESTS OF WITNESS BARS. THESE MECHANICAL TESTS WILL BE COMBINED WITH METALLOGRAPHIC EXAMINATIONS TO PROVIDE AN INITIAL EVALUATION OF P/M TITANIUM MATERIALS AND FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR THIN WALL PRESSURE VESSELS. IN ADDITION, A PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS WILL BE CONDUCTED.