FIBER REINFORCEMENT

AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT WILL BE MADE OF METHODS OF FABRICATING COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH MODULUS CARBON FIBERS. TRANSLATION OF FIBER PROPERTIES INTO COMPOSITE PROPERTIES WILL BE EVALUATED. MATRIX MATERIALS WILL INCLUDE APPROPRIATE ORGANICS, METALS, CARBON, AND CERAMICS. THE FEASIBILITY OF FABRICATING HYBRID COMPOSITES CONTAINING BOTH HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH MODULUS FIBERS WILL BE ESTABLISHED. IN ORGANIC MATRICES EMPHASIS WILL BE ON HIGH CHAR YIELD THAT CAN FORM CARBON-CARBON IN SITU. METAL MATRIX WILL EMPHASIZE REINFORCED COPPER BECAUSE OF HIGH MELTING POINT AND OUTSTANDING THERMAL PROPERTIES. CARBON-CARBON WILL INVOLVE SPECIAL WEAVING TECHNIQUES TO HANDLE HIGH MODULUS, LOW STRAIN-TO-FAILURE FIBERS. CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES WILL INVOLVE CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION OF SIC INTO A GRAPHITE PREFORM. EVALUATION OF ALL MATERIALS AND PROCESSES WILL BE MADE IN TERMS OF ANTICIPATED REQUIREMENTS IN ADVANCED MISSILE SYSTEMS.