The US missile defense industry employes extensive usage of silica fabric reinforced composites in nozzle, motor case, leading and control surface insulation. Silica fabric reinforced phenolic insulators have been designed into strategic and tactical propulsion systems since the 1950s. The original systems using molded silica phenolic nozzles and insulators for metal structure were pathfinders for todays systems designs for multiple components, flight surface structure and structural insulation reinforcement components. The current sole source supplier of aerospace grade silica fabric occupies the same facility since 1922, the former H.I. Thompson Company in Gardena, CA. The former HITCO, recently the former SGL and Avcarb Corp. is now acquired by TexTech Industries which must imminently vacate the Gardena site. Nearly 100 years of legacy acid processing equipment surely is incapable of relocation. The national strategic and tactical defense requirements necessitate a competent and current state of the art facility to support the next 50 years of secure silica insulation material production for strategic and tactical systems. Alkemix is pleased to engage within a current commercial silica supplier and provide the technical process pathway to produce and validate aerospace grade silica for ablative and insulative applications.
