Ultrahigh Temperature Low-erosion Materials for Liquid Rocket Motor

THE STATE OF THE ART IN HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS FOR LIQUID ROCKET COMBUSION CHAMBERS IS IRIDIUM/RHENIUM (Ir/Re), WHICH PERMITS OPERATION TO 2200C. MATERIALS THAT WOULD PERMIT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN OPERATING TEMPERATURE WOULD ALLOW INCREASED PERFORMANCE, DECREASED WEIGHT, AND A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE SYSTEM IMPACT FOR A VARIETY OF STRATEGIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS. HAFNIUM CARBIDE (HfC), TANTALUM CARBIDE (TaC), AND THEIR ALLOYS, WHICH ARE THE MOST THERMODYNAMICALLY STABLE COMPOUNDS KNOWN AND POSSESS THE HIGHEST MELTING POINTS OF ANY KNOWN MATERIALS SYSTEM, SHOW GOOD POTENTIAL FOR THIS APPLICATION. BECAUSE OF THEIR LOW STRAIN TO FAILURE AND POOR THERMAL SHOCK RESISTANCE, HOWEVER, FABRICATION METHODS AND MICROSTRUCTURAL DESIGNS MUST BE DEVELOPED TO IMPROVE THE TOUGHNESS OF THESE MATERIALS FOR FOR THEM TO BECOME VIABLE FOR ENGINE APPLICATION. IN THIS PHASE I PROGRAM, ULTRAMET PROPOSES TO DEMONTRATE THE FABRICATION OF THESE ULTRAHIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS AND CONDUCT MODELING AND LABORATORY ANALYSIS IN SIMULATED LIQUID ROCKET MOTOR ENVIRONMENTS. ULTRAMET WILL SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATE THE FABRICATION, DESIGN, AND PERFORMANCE OF CARBON FIBER-REINFORCED HfC/TaC COMPOSITES, LEADING TO DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE GAINS IN LIQUID ROCKET MOTORS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY WHICH WILL BE ONCORPORATED INTO THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMERCIAL SATELLITE PROPULSION SYSTEMS.