SBIR-STTR Award

Alkemix Corporation is pleased to offer a systematic approach to the recovery and reintroduction of Boron Carbide (B4C) raw materials incapsulated within hard armor ballistic plates currently demilitarized by the DLA. One such stock-pile is a quantity of 120, 000 virgin, never deployed XSAPI (The X Threat Small Arm Protective Insert) armor plate systems held within the DLA. Alkemix will focus on baselining the B4C recovery process employing current ceramic powder manufacturing techniques. Our process will include jaw crushing, ball-milling, contamination removal, and further particle size reduction to nano-phase levels. The deliverable powder will be in <325 mesh micronized particle size powder and <200nm nano size particulate powder. The two solutions will be added to existing, virgin B4C powders for hot-press lamination and tested for ballistic equivalence. The recycled powder will reduce the required feedstock for current hard armor manufacturing and potentially facilitate a viable domestically sourced supply chain, Furthermore, Alkemix will isolate the other advance composite materials currently molded within the XSAPI hard armor and reintroduce those materials back into other alternate value chains. The baselined process will allow further reclamation processes for other high-value, ceramic based raw materials such as Tungsten Carbide, Silicon Carbide, and Aluminum Carbide.

High temperature resistant Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials are critical to the success of new hypersonic weapons and related U.S. defense modernization priorities. Each material's temperature capability, durability and weight determine the extent of its application on the vehicle. Improvements to these materials have been the subject of much research as enhanced capability material (i.e., more durability, higher temperature capability, greater thermal shock resistance and lower thermal conductivity) improves thermal protection material and vehicle performance. Once developed and implemented within a design, these materials often possess a single point of failure (SPOF) or multiple SPOF’s within a single supply chain. The DoD has identified SPOF as a significant threat to defense rated programs. One such product is Rayon Carbon replacement material “Low-Fired-Stretch-Broken-PAN-Fiber” (LFSP). LFSP is coated with phenolic resin into a prepreg system then processed into rocket motor exit cones by tape wrapping or employed within acreage area Hypersonic Aeroshells via carbon-carbon (C-C) processing. Alkemix Corporation is pleased to offer a solution that is independent of the current LFSP supply chain. Development will be focused on the following: 1) a domestically sourced and sustainable LFSP; 2) a high char yield resin matrix which will meet ablative thermal properties; and 3) the prepreg system developed must perform in a C-C processing environment. Finally, the deliverable will strive to increase the current domestic production capacity, reduce C-C process cycle times, increase affordability, and enhance supply chain resiliency.