SS Chart Template

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Rapid Prototyping of Continuous-Fiber-Reinforced
Ceramic Matrix Composites
Small Business Technology TRansfer
Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. Tucson, AZ
An innovative, low-cost, rapid-prototyping
technology has been used to produce a Novel
composite material that will enable the
fabrication of a new generation of low-cost
propulsion components for NASA and DOD
applications
INNOVATION

• ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• A new, flexible, rapid, low-cost process has been
  developed for fabricating ceramic matrix
  composites (CMCs). Fabrication costs are reduced
  by more that an order of magnitude time reduced
  by approximately a factor of six for a square,
  thin plate of material
• The continuous composite co-extrusion (C3)
  process has been demonstrated with
  first-generation carbon-fiber-reinforced
  zirconium carbide matrix composites (C/ZrC).
• Rapid and economical, C3 offers drastic
  improvements over current
• state-of-the-art processes (e.g., chemical vapor
  infiltration and polymer impregnation and
  pyrolysis) used to fabricate ceramic matrix
  composites.
• Reusable C/ZrC has the potential to withstand
  erosive environments at temperatures in excess of
  2500ºF.
• Program objectives includedevelopment of the
  fiber interface coating material properties
  generation production and evaluation of
  prototype parts production of full scale
  components to be delivered at the end of the
  program.
• COMMERCIALIZATION
• Patent filed January 2001 MSFC-315497-1
• Teaming with several strong commercial partners
  for application of this technology to the
  aerospace and energy industries.
• Will provide components for testing to commercial
  customers concurrently with the fabrication of
  NASAs sub-scale and full scale parts.
• Develop other material compositions and
  components with the highly flexible C3 process.

Automated fiber placement machine laying up
extruded ceramic-encased fiber tows from Advanced
Ceramics Research

• GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
• SBIR 2000 Phase 11 awarded for development of
  Polar Lay-up C/SiC blisk using the C3 process
  (NASA8-01016).
• CMCs fabricated with the C3 process
  includeintegrated ceramic injector and CMC
  thrusters bladed disks, ducts, cryogenic tanks
  nozzles, thermal protection hot structure, and
  steering and thrust control vanes.
• C/ZrC has the potential to enable reusable
  radiation-cooled thrust chambers

MSFC Contacts Tom Knight 256-544-5353
MSFC Tech. POC Mike Effinger 256-544-5637
ARC Contact Dr. Ranji Vaidyanthan,
520-573-6300 1996 Phase I NAS8-00084 1999 Phase
II, NAS8-00192
Marshall Space Flight Center Subtopic 3.04,
Lightweight Engine Components March 2001
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