Accession Number:

AD0843920

Title:

Ablative Plastics Characterization Part II. Additional Arc-Heater Screening and Trajectory Simulation.

Descriptive Note:

Final summary rept. 1 Jun 67-30 Apr 68,

Corporate Author:

AVCO GOVERNMENT PRODUCTS GROUP LOWELL MA AVCO SPACE SYSTEMS DIV

Personal Author(s):

• Mitchel, B. J.
• Tempesta, F. L.

Report Date:

1968-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

237.0

Abstract:

Reinforced plastic ablative materials were characterized in steady and transient laboratory-simulated reentry environments. Two continuous-arc air heaters were employed to generate nine calibrated and reproducible environments for materials testing. The transient environment was produced by a programmed sequence of six steady environments which approximated a reentry trajectory. Newly developed ablators were screened in three standard environments to obtain information for guidance of future development of materials. The investigated reinforcing agents were carbon, graphite, silica, quartz and boron nitride, in fiber or fabric form. The majority of resin systems were based on phenolic, polyphenylene, polyimide, polyferrocenylene, or epoxy-novolac. Reference carbonphenolic and silicaphenolic ablative materials were evaluated in steady-state and transient environments simulating a slender, medium-performance ballistic vehicle. High-speed films revealed the ablative mechanisms at various points of the trajectory. Author

Descriptors:

• *REINFORCED PLASTICS
• ABLATION
• ATMOSPHERE ENTRY
• DESCENT TRAJECTORIES
• SIMULATION
• ARC HEATERS
• REINFORCING MATERIALS
• CARBON FIBERS
• GRAPHITE
• SILICON DIOXIDE
• QUARTZ
• BORON COMPOUNDS
• NITRIDES
• BINDERS
• PHENOLIC PLASTICS
• POLYAMIDE PLASTICS
• FERROCENES
• EPOXY RESINS
• SELECTION
• REENTRY VEHICLES
• MATHEMATICAL MODELS

Subject Categories:

• Laminates and Composite Materials

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE