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Lightweight Composite Motorcase Test Article
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Lightweight Composite Motorcase and Propellant Tank Technology |
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AF071-205 |
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Phase I Summary |
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Compositex, Inc. is developing a new material and fabrication technology intended to enable higher performing solid rocket motorcases and liquid propellant tanks. The manufacturing process being developed uses readily available, low-cost, environmentally-friendly thermoplastic raw materials that are non-toxic, non-polluting, and recyclable. This new composite manufacturing promises to deliver revolutionary improvements in performance and cost effectiveness for solid rocket motorcases as well as liquid propellant tanks. It is a non-autoclave process that can potentially be scaled up to enormous dimensions. Other advantages include insensitive munitions compliance, excellent damage tolerance, and resistance to microcracking under high tensile strains. Development work to date has primarily focused on optimizing processing parameters and measuring lamina mechanical properties with destructive tensile tests. The selected processing parameters and corresponding lamina properties were sufficient to fabricate multiple demonstration motorcase test articles as part of the Phase I effort. |
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Higher propellant mass fractions on missiles and launch vehicles will result in increased payload and/or deltaV performance. The increased damage tolerance characteristics will lead to safer missile and/or launch vehicle operations. Reduced fabrication costs will enable cost savings on missile systems and space launch missions. |
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