Reactive Additive Wire for Hypersonic Inconel Defense Engineering

There is a proliferation of hypersonic technologies being developed by US joint-forces to maintain a strategic advantage over near-peer adversaries, to preserve US air superiority, and enhance missile defense. Hypersonic platforms under development span missile and strike capabilities, scramjet propulsion systems, boost glide vehicles, counter hypersonic, aircraft, and related high-speed, high-maneuverability systems. Today, hypersonic hot section structures use subtractive manufacturing methods which yield low buy-to-fly ratios (10-20% in some cases) resulting in very high production costs and long lead times. The US has an urgent need for the rapid and affordable production of hypersonic systems to prototype and field these critical capabilities; new materials and processes are needed for sustainable hypersonic manufacturing.á These exists a related capability gap for manufacturing large scale, metallic, hot-section structures for space propulsion systems. While Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) has become popularized for rapidly manufacturing freeform rocket chambers and nozzles, the process is limited to small scale parts which must be mechanically joined introducing quality risks, higher costs, and increased lead times. There is a desire from propulsion developers to print larger scale, single-piece components using alloys that can accommodate the increasing combustion and design temperature regimes for high-performance and green propellant rocket engines. Novel manufacturing techniques and metals are sought after to develop next generation propulsion structures for in-space, space launch, and atmospheric propulsion applications.á Fortius Metals (Fortius) is developing IN625-RAM2 for wire directed energy deposition (W-DED) additive manufacturing (AM) to produce large format, high temperature hypersonic alloys. IN625-RAM2ĺs refined grain structure, isotropic material properties, and high temperature performance, makes it ideal for additively manufacturing hypersonic inlets, propulsion control systems, hot section air frame structures, and hot-section components for space propulsion systems.áá Fortius completed Phase I feasibility by verifying material properties of the nickel superalloy in powder form and demonstrated W-DED process success with similar alloys. The proposed effort will demonstrate IN625-RAM2 wire to address specific DAF challenges and to progress qualification of the material for broader use cases throughout the DoD. Fortiusĺs solution will advance an immediate and widespread defense need for hypersonic and propulsion manufacturing using an innovative material and AM process.á