OXIDATION PROTECTION OF CARBON COMPOSITES TO 3500F AND HIGHER

A REAL NEED EXISTS IN BOTH THE MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL ARENAS FOR A RELIABLE OXIDATION PROTECTIVE MATERIAL FOR CARBON COMPOSITES TO 3500F. LEADING RESEARCHERS HAVE PREDICTED THAT A MIXTURE OF SIC AND HFC OR ZRC SHOULD BE GOOD CANDIDATE MATERIAL. BUT THEIR EXPERIMENTAL EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED MIXED RESULTS; BOTH GOOD AND BAD AND NONREPEATABLE. NO SATISFATORY EXPLANATION WAS ACHIEVED. THE TECHNICAL STAFF AT ULTRAMET AGREES THAT THE SIC/HFC (OR ZRC) SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS. IN ANALYZING THE PREVIOUS RESULTS, WE FEEL THAT THE LIKELY EXPLANATION FOR THE PAST FAILURE AND NONREPEATABILITY WAS OVERLOOKED. IN THIS EFFORT ULTRAMET PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE ITS THEORY (DESCRIBED WITHIN) AND DEMONSTRATE THAT A SIC/HFC (OR ZRC) MIXTURE CAN BE DEPOSITED BY CVD TO PRODUCE RELIABLE, OXIDATION RESISTANT COATINGS TO 3500F. DUE TO THE UNIQUE AND UNPARALLELED TECHNICAL STAFF ASSEMBLED AT ULTRAMET, WE FEEL THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS.