SBIR-STTR Award

SiC-SiC and C-SiC Honeycomb for Advanced Flight Structures
Award last edited on: 6/29/2020

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NASA : DRFC
Total Award Amount
$693,465
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
A2.01
Principal Investigator
Stan Wright

Company Information

Ultracor (AKA: Rainwater Holdings Inc)

136 Wright Brothers Avenue
Livermore, CA 94551
   (925) 454-3010
   N/A
   www.ultracorinc.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 15
County: Alameda

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2010
Phase I Amount
$93,662
The proposed project is to manufacture a C-SiC honeycomb structure to use as a high temperature material in advanced aircraft, spacecraft and industrial applications. The proposers will fabricate a carbon fiber honeycomb structure. The structure will be charred and then converted to C-SiC by means of chemical vapor infiltration. The resultant material will then be tested mechanically at ambient, at high temperature and then at ambient after high temperature exposure.

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2011
Phase II Amount
$599,803
The proposed project builds upon the work done in Phase I with the development of a C-SiC CMC honeycomb material that was successfully tested for mechanical properties at both ambient and high temperature. The further study expands to include the development of an SiC-SiC honeycomb using the proven infiltration process of the Phase I project. In the proposed project, an SiC prepreg will be engineered that can be formed into a honeycomb and then infiltrated with SiC to form a ceramic SiC-SiC honeycomb. The honeycomb will then be tested mechanically at ambient temperature and high temperature. This testing will include cycling the material to determine property falloff. C-SiC and SiC SiC will be compared in this study. The thermal characteristics, such as conductivity and emissivity, will also be tested. The integration of such a material into hypersonic and other structures is a key area of the research; therefore a bonding study is included in the current proposal. Several bonding technologies and processes will be investigated and tested mechanically as well as cycled to determine durability. The goal of the study is to provide a sandwich level technology that can be integrated into hypersonic vehicle structures and acreage.