Melt-Infiltrated Carbon-Carbon Nosetips and Leading Edges for High Velocity, Gun-Launched Projectiles

Recently developed high velocity projectiles employ tungsten nosetips and titanium alloy control surfaces. The tungsten nose remains thermochemically stable at current muzzle velocities and provides ballast to maintain aerodynamic stability. Present flight velocities allow titanium fins to remain below melt temperatures and their low densities minimize inertial loads on the actuators. In order to reach higher velocities, near term improvements include ablative caps for the nosetip and ceramic leading edges on metal fins. While these modifications provide marginal improvements, they may not be sufficient for high acceleration, hyper velocity conditions called out in the solicitation. This proposal seeks to develop erosion resistant, high temperature, high strength components by leveraging melt-infiltrated carbon-carbon technology that has demonstrated improved strength and refractory performance in rocket nozzles. The proposed effort includes mission requirements, preliminary component sizing, material fabrication, property characterization, detailed thermostructural analysis, and design improvements. The program will be performed by a team of Materials Research & Design (MR&D), Exothermics, and Southern Research Institute (SRI). MR&D will serve as the prime contractor and take responsibility for design, analysis, and program management. Exothermics will develop and fabricate melt-infiltrated carbon-carbon, and SRI will characterize critical material properties across the range of operational temperatures.