High-Temperature Resistant Polymer Derived Ceramic Materials for Innovative Thermal Protection Systems for Hypersonics and Related Applications

Hypersonic systems depend on advanced insulation materials and methods to reduce heat that is transferred through the aeroshell to heat-sensitive vehicle structures and internal equipment such as the flight computer and batteries contained within the vehicle.  There is a need for insulating materials that reduce heat transferred to internal components and that also carry some structural loading of the surrounding aeroshell.  There is a concurrent need to improve domestic production capacity, affordability, and supply chain resiliency for these critical materials.  These materials need to perform well when saturated at temperatures in the 1000°C to 1500°C range while maintaining their thermal and structural integrity.    The primary objective of this proposed Phase I effort is to leverage prior Polymer Derived Ceramic (PDC) -based insulating materials development and existing larger-format Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes to develop and implement processes and optimized materials that can ultimately be used quickly and cost effectively to manufacture optimized vehicle hot-structure components and structural TPS. The Phase I effort will focus on: 1) working with DOD and commercial industry stakeholders to define key metrics, guide development, address costs and risks associated with the technology, 2) evaluating and formulating PDC precursors for compatibility with large AM processes; 3) evaluating large-format monolithic AM fabrication strategies, and 4) demonstrating technical feasibility through prototyping and testing.