Economical Manufacture of Refractory Ceramic Matrix Composite Airframe with Integral Thermal Protection System Navy SBIR FY2006.3 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2006.3 Topic No.: N06-183 Topic Title: Economical Manufacture of Refractory Ceramic Matrix Composite Airframe with Integral Thermal Protection System Proposal No.: N063-183-0377 Firm: Ultramet 12173 Montague Street Pacoima, California 91331-2210 Contact: Brian Williams Phone: (818) 899-0236 Web Site: www.ultramet.com Abstract: The thermal, mechanical, and chemical environment generated during launch and flight of hypersonic projectiles is severe. Ultramet has developed a melt infiltration process for rapid fabrication of refractory ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) including matrices of zirconium carbide, hafnium carbide, silicon carbide, and ceramic alloys including two or more of these materials. The carbon fiber reinforcement provides high strength and toughness and can be braided or wrapped into complex shapes that are retained after the melt process and require little or no postprocess machining. Significant ultrahigh temperature testing of these composites has been performed with good results. Ultramet has also developed and tested high temperature, low cost insulators composed of open-cell carbon foam that is filled with a low conductivity carbon aerogel insulator. The potential exists to combine and optimize melt infiltrated CMCs with foam-based insulators that meet the demanding requirements of hypersonic projectile airframes while also demonstrating affordable processing. Ultramet proposes to assemble a development team comprising Materials Research & Design for thermal/mechanical modeling and erosion prediction methodologies, Ocellus for carbon aerogel/carbon foam insulation processing, and Boeing for assistance in defining airframe requirements. In Phase I, cone-shaped prototype components will be fabricated and subjected to high temperature oxidation testing to 2800 K at the Laser Hardened Materials Evaluation Laboratory. Benefits: The proposed integration of Ultramet's melt infiltrated, structural CMCs and aerogel-filled foam insulators can potentially meet the demanding thermal, mechanical, and chemical environment that will be imposed on airframe materials in electromagnetic gun systems. Additional applications include supersonic cruise missiles and ballistic missile defense booster vehicles. Other possible applications include crew emergency return vehicles for the International Space Station, thermal protection system aerobraking structures for planetary exploration, and launch vehicle propulsion systems. Potential commercial applications include high temperature, low mass insulating structures for heat cycle and gas turbine engines, scramjet and ramjet engine components, and furnace heat recovery units (recuperators). In the substantial automotive and off-road vehicle markets, refractory materials are critical to the success of high-efficiency, high temperature combustion engine designs now in development. Numerous programs are underway in the commercial market, including low heat rejection diesel engines, which appear to be among the most near-term applications for extensive use of advanced ceramics components and insulators. Return