In this program, General Systems is proposing to develop a furnace design which will include developing high temperature joining of graphite, molybdenum and alumina for use in evaporator furnaces for experiments on Space Shuttle and Space Station. Our design will not use any active, transition metal brazes, use a compliant pad to accommodate differential CTEs and also utilize a ceramic coatings on graphite for oxidation and fire protection. Our innovation will combine the use of high temperature braze such as nickel and palladium with a refractory metal compliant pad to accommodate the shear strains to off-load the high thermal stresses and will result in a mechanically strong joint. We will eliminate use of transition metals via use of innovative metallization of the carbon. We will also use refractory ceramic coating on the graphite to minimize possibilities of fire hazard in case of an accident. In the Phase II program we will fabricate and deliver to NASA ultra-compact furnaces for use as particle generators for space shuttle and space station experiments. We will also commercialize the compliant pad bonding technology in power electronics packaging and aerospace industries.
