High Temperature Materials for Hypersonic Radomes and Antennas

Missiles experience a wide range of thermal and mechanical environments due to the large variety of flight profiles. Since the missile radome is often the aerodynamic leading edge, it undergoes significant thermal and mechanical loading. The radome must survive the dynamic pressure loading, thermal shock and environmental erosion from airborne particulates (rain / sand) while performing as an electromagnetic window through which targeting and tracking is performed. There is no single radome material suitable for all missiles. This is due to the variation in thermal, mechanical, and electrical requirements caused by the variability of missile flight profiles and RF transmission needs. Hence, several radome materials are commonly used. These vary from fused silica, to silicates, oxides, and polycrystalline nitrides. As vehicles and projectiles move to higher speeds and transmission needs push to higher frequencies, new radome , window, and antenna material options are needed. Our research team at Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing and Villanova University proposes new materials be developed based on composite mixtures of ceramics. Based on effective medium theory, our technical approach will engineer the dielectric properties of the radome materials. This will produce high strength, low permittivity, temperature stable materials suitable for hypersonic applications.