MATERIALS RESEARCH & DESIGN INC — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: DLA23A-003

Description

Materials Research & Design, Inc. (MR&D) and their program partners propose a research and development (R&D) effort to identify, develop, and demonstrate a class of high-temperature resistant TPS materials and production processes which seek to increase domestic production capacity, affordability, and supply chain resiliency. Under the effort proposed herein, MR&D will work closely with the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU) – the Phase I Research Institute (RI) – and Textum OPCO, LLC. (Textum) – a domestic manufacturer of advanced fiber-reinforced composite materials – to assess the viability of N-dimensionally reinforced, high-temperature resistant TPS materials. The program will determine, insofar as possible, the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of the TPS concepts through a combined analytical and experimental effort.  The Phase I STTR program will focus on a class of material solutions which enable rapid, reliable production of boost glide vehicle acreage TPS materials, specifically as they pertain to the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) utilized for the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) vehicle. While C-HGB will serve as the target platform of focus during the Phase I effort, the solutions identified will also be of relevance to TPS materials used for the Air Force’s boost-glide vehicle, the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). MR&D currently supports a variety of efforts focused on the design, analysis, and maturation of TPS materials for C-HGB and ARRW, in addition to several air-breathing flow path components. A successful Phase I program will determine, insofar as possible, the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of the Textum-fabricated TPS concepts through a combined analytical and experimental effort. Focus in the Phase I program will be given to assessing the manufacturability of two-dimensionally (2D) and three-dimensionally (3D) reinforced C/C TPS materials fabricated by Textum. The team will endeavor to establish the feasibility of two technologies: 1. A generalized ICME tool which can be used to rapidly audition novel material systems and screen for manufacturability using only a limited amount of coupon data; and  2. Carbon fiber-reinforced benzoxazine-derived C/C materials – with and/or without a third axis of reinforcement – as a class of materials for future TPS.