MULTIFUNCTIONAL COATINGS FOR CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITES

THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL EXAMINE THE USE OF MODEL REFRACTORY AND LIGHT METAL COATINGS ON CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITE SUBSTRATES FOR THE MULTIPLE FUNCTIONALITIES OF RESISTANCE TO ATOMIC OXYGEN EFFECTS EXPECTED IN LOW EARTH ORBIT, HIGH POWER C.W. LASER EFFECTS BEFORE AND AFTER EXPOSURE TO ATOMIC OXYGEN, AND NUCLEAR EFFECTS. PROTOTYPE VAPOR DEPOSITED REFRACTORY AND LIGHT METAL COATINGS ON CARBON-CARBON SUBSTRATES WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE EQUIVALENT OF A SIGNIFICANT ATOMIC OXYGEN FLUENCE AND THEN TESTED FOR RESISTANCE TO HIGH POWER LASERS. SURFACE ANALYSIS STUDIES AND OPTICAL PROPERTY MEASUREMENTS WILL BE PERFORMED ON AS-PRODUCED COATINGS, COATING EXPOSED TO ATOMIC OXYGEN, COATINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN LASER TESTED, AND COATINGS EXPOSTED TO ATOMIC OXYGEN AND THEN LASER TESTED. THE EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE MECHANISTICS OF DEGRADATION AND PROTECTION WHICH CAN BE USED FOR DESIGN OF OPTIMIZED COATINGS FOR APPLICATION TO CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITE STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS FOR SPACECRAFT. THE PROJECT WILL BE PERFORMED WITH THE ENGINEERING AND EXPERIMENTAL ASSISTANCE OF LOCKHEED MISSILE AND SPACE CORPORATION AND THE RICE UNIVERSITY LASER APPLICATIONS CENTER.