Rapid Fabrication of CMCs with Aligned Discontinuous Reinforcement via Reactive Melt Infiltration

Through a combined analytical and experimental program, the effort proposed herein will develop an affordable, high-temperature capable composite material system to enable future small launch vehicle propulsion systems. Specifically, this program will focus on carbon-fiber reinforced carbon (C/C) materials with oxidation resistance provided via reactive melt infiltration (RMI) with Group IV A/B metals, such as silicon, zirconium, and hafnium. This material system has been successfully demonstrated over extended durations in high-temperature oxidizing liquid propellant environments, but currently, there is a lack of understanding regarding how this material can be optimally processed. To date, manufacturers have implemented a prototyping approach; many of the practices employed have, in some way, been derived from both experience and tribal knowledge. While this approach has been sufficient for the manufacture of prototype hardware, there exists a need for a better understanding of how the material behaves during processing. A program emphasizing multi-scale modeling and simulation of these materials through manufacturingnbsp; and operational environments will seek to establish a relationship between a variety of process parameters and the quality of the resulting composite material.nbsp;A successful Phase I program will establish the feasibility of using the developed CMC material in an environment relevant to small launch vehicle providers.nbsp;The development of these high strength-to-weight ratio materials is critical in reducing launch costs for small spacecraft.