COMPOSITE HEAT PIPE CONCEPTS USING PITCH GRAPHITE/METAL CPMPOSISTES

FEASIBILITY WILL BE DEMONSTRATED FOR USE OF HIGH STIFFNESS HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY PITCH GRAPHIC REINFORCED-METAL COMPOSITES IN SIMPLE HEAT-PIPE CONCEPTS. THE VERY HIGHLY ANISOTROPIC THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF PITCH GRAPHITE, COMBINEDWITH EXCELLENT GR-METAL SPECIFIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES SUGGESTS A "TAILORABLE" EFFICIENT MATERIAL FOR THERMAL-CONTROL SYSTEMS THAT BENEFIT FROM INTRINSIC STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. SPACE STRUCTURE, SPACE CRAFT, AND MOST FLIGHT OR LAUNCHED SYSTEMS NECESSITATING THERMAL LOAD CONTROL CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS COMPOSITE THIS COMPOSITE CONCEPT. ALUMINUM MAXTRIX SYSTEMS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR USE UP TO 500 DEGREES F, WHILE COPPER MATRICES COULD GO GEYOND 100 DEGREES F.