NASA SBIR 2002 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN: (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Ultramet
12173 Montague Street
Pacoima , CA   91331 - 2210
(818 ) 899 - 0236

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER: (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/ZIP, Phone)
Jason R. Babcock, Ph.D.
jason.babcock@ultramet.com
12173 Montague Street
Pacoima , CA   91331 - 2210
(818 ) 899 - 0236

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Application of fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMC) can enhance the efficiency and performance, reduce the weight, improve the durability, and lower the cost of rocket engine combustion devices and turbomachinery components used in high temperature, high-stress environments. Meeting these objectives requires improvements in fiber-reinforced CMC materials and fabrication processes, particularly improved fiber/matrix interfaces, interface deposition processes, and oxidation protection. In previous work, Ultramet developed an ultraviolet-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (UVCVD) process that allows deposition of dense, strain-tolerant ceramics at room temperature, thus avoiding heat-induced material degradation and providing excellent material performance, including enhanced oxidation protection. Although these coatings have improved performance, identifying a single phase that best performs the two key functions of the interface coating, oxidation protection and interface slip, has proven elusive. Phase I focused on development of both conventional CVD and UVCVD deposition techniques that resulted in several novel multilayer interface coating systems utilizing oxide and carbide phases. Fiber tows coated with multilayer systems exhibited dramatic improvement in tensile strength compared to both uncoated tows and fiber coated with a single oxide layer. One multilayer system was employed in the fabrication of a carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) CMC that demonstrated the highest mechanical strength yet achieved for C/SiC using Ultramet's melt infiltration densification process, verifying the beneficial effect of the multilayer system via a 33% strength increase. The Phase II project will build on this encouraging preliminary room temperature data via further optimization of multilayer interface deposition at Ultramet and extensive evaluation of both coated tows and CMCs utilizing the coatings at the elevated temperatures expected in actual use.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Ceramic matrix composite materials are projected to significantly increase safety and reduce costs simultaneously, while decreasing weight for space transportation propulsion. Innovative material and process technology advancements are required to enable long life, reliable, and environmentally durable materials. Specific areas of technology development that are of interest include low-cost, rapid, scalable, repeatable CMC fabrication process development for multiple space transportation propulsion applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA APPLICATION(S) (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The composite materials to be developed in this project using innovative interfaces and novel UVCVD processing will have broad commercial applicability to a range of products, including fuel-rich turbomachinery components, aircraft engine components, recuperators, ducts, and other hot gas path components, process industry components requiring high temperature capability and corrosive environment resistance (e.g. hot gas and liquid handling equipment), furnace structures, and high temperature filter elements.