FOR HIGH VELOCITY MISSILES

THIS PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP A MATERIAL SPECIFICALLY FOR JOINING HIGHLY MIS-MATCHED MATERIALS FOR HIGH VELOCITY MISSILES. IT WILL BE DEMONSTRATED THAT GRAPHITE FIBER REINFORCED METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE MATERIALS CAN BE PRODUCED WITH TAILORABLE THERMAL EXPANSION PROPERTIES WITHIN A PANEL. A MATERIAL WHICH HAS VERY LOW THERMAL EXPANSION CHARACTERISTICS AT ONE EDGE, WHILE POSSESSING THERMAL EXPANSION CHARACTERISTICS COMPATIBLE WITH A METAL AT THE OPPOSITE END WILL BE DESIGNED. IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT GRAPHITE FIBER REINFORCED METAL MATRIX MATERIAL CAN BE PRODUCED WHICH WILL POSSESS ZERO OR VERY NEAR ZERO THERMAL EXPANSION. THIS PROGRAM WILL USE ANALYTICAL MODELING TO DESIGN COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH CERAMIC LIKE EXPANSION PROPERTIES AND METAL LIKE EXPANSIONS. A WEAVE WILL THEN BE DESIGNED WHICH WILL BE A TRANSITION BETWEEN THESE TWO REINFORCEMENT GEOMETRIES. A SAMPLE OF THE RESULTING MATERIAL WILL BE FABRICATED AND DENSIFIED WITH COPPER TO DEMONSTRATE THAT TAILORED THERMAL EXPANSIONS CAN BE BOTH DESIGNED AND FABRICATED. THE RESULTING MATERIAL WILL FORM THE BASELINE FOR A CLASS OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR ACCOMMODATING THE THERMAL EXPANSION MIS-MATCHES WHICH EXIST BETWEEN HIGH TEMPERATURE CERAMICS AND METALS.