Survivable EO/IR Sensor Windows for Supersonic Missile Applications

Not Available This SBIR represents a basic core technology required to design and fabricate enhanced heatsinks for the thermal management of electronics. The addition of boron nitride (BN) powder to a high thermal conductivity pitch carbon fiber laminate dramatically increases the transverse thermal conductivity. In the past the usefulness of pitch carbon fiber laminates has been limited by the low transverse conductivity. The increase in conductivity will dramatically increase the number of applications where this composite can be used for example: heatsinks, thermal radiators and missile structures. It is predicted that high thermal conductivity laminates will be able to replace structures that have traditionally been fabricated from aluminum beryllium for lower cost and weight. Prior experimentation carried out with EPSCoR funding has shown that thermal conductivity increases as the concentration of BN is increased, but also the strength of the laminate decreases. The technical objective of this project is to fabricate laminates with increasing concentrations of BN and measure the thermal conductivity and corresponding strength and stiffness. Data and design tables will be produced to enable engineers to accurately predict the performance of structures where the thermal conductivity of a pitch laminate has been enhanced by the addition of BN.