Low-cost Polybenzoxazene Composites for High Performance Shipboard Radomes Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2010.2 Topic No.: N102-148 Topic Title: Low-cost Polybenzoxazene Composites for High Performance Shipboard Radomes Proposal No.: N102-148-1092 Firm: Composite Technology Development, Inc. 2600 Campus Drive, Suite D Lafayette, Colorado 80026 Contact: Matthew Hooker Phone: (303) 664-0394 Web Site: www.ctd-materials.com Abstract: Radomes are key components of future Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) systems and are aboard almost every surface vessel in the Navy. These structures provide protection for the radar face, but the long-term instability of existing radome materials can interfere with the transmission and reception of radar signals. In particular, changes in temperature, moisture absorption, and incident radiation (RF, UV, IR, etc.) can all induce changes into the radome and thereby decrease the performance of the radar system. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of producing radomes using low-cost benzoxazine materials. Benzoxazines exhibit good moisture resistance and thermal stability as compared to the epoxies and vinyl esters currently used in radome construction. The results of this work are expected to provide the Navy with a cost-effective means of improving radome performance, while also extending the operational lifetime of these components. Benefits: The proposed program will build on previous work with benzoxazine-based materials to produce advanced radome structures. These new radome materials are expected to better withstand the environmental exposures associated with use on surface vessels, while also being compatible with existing radome fabrication methods. Potential civil applications include use on commercial ships and air traffic control radars. Return