| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02- B3.06-7571 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 024428 ) |
| SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Radiation Shielding to Protect Humans |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | Carbon based aerogel composites for radiation shielding |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc.
3932 E Hemisphere Loop
Tucson , AZ 85706 - 5013
(520 ) 434 - 6392
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Ranji Vaidyanathan
r.vaidyanathan@acrtucson.com
3932 E Hemisphere Loop
Tucson , AZ 85706 - 5013
(520 ) 573 - 6300
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
In this phase I SBIR program, Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (ACR) proposes the development of an innovative, co-curing fabrication process for composite structures with a carbon based aerogel material encapsulated by a polyethylene based composite for radiation shielding applications. The proposed technique will leverage the ACR?s experience with co-injecting highly viscous ceramic slurries into fibrous preforms. The carbon based aerogel material will be fabricated into a panel and encapsulated by polyethylene using a elevated temperature RTM technique currently used to fabricate fiber reinforced multi-resin systems. The feasibility of the approach will be demonstrated using a carbon fiber reinforced aerogel encapsulated with fiber-reinforced polyethylene. The advantage is that the radiation shielding panels will also act as a thermally insulating material and therefore, will be a multifunctional material. Co-injection will permit the fabrication of multi-layer structures that do not have to be individually laminated; hence, it is possible to fabricate high performance radiation shielding panels that would be impossible to build using conventional methods. Additionally, the fabrication process is flexible to allow the use of optimal and hybrid fiber tows and architectures necessitated by the component design requirements.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential commercial applications are in the aerospace industry that requires radiation shielding materials that also need to be thermally insulating.
POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA potential applications are for the ISS and the 3rd Gen RLV's that require lightweight radiation shielding materials.