SBIR-STTR Award

Advanced Cerametrics, Inc (ACI) has developed a technology to make nearly any ceramic into flexible fiber. ACI has also developed a material that meets the needs of hypersonic missile radomes (barium alumino silicate-BAS). ACI has developed a method to make the BAS into fiber form and to produce fibrous monoliths of BAS where the BAS fibers reinforce a similar BAS matrix. These components have a low dielectric constant suitable for radome RF requirements. The BAS materials, especially in fiber monolith form, have a very good CTE with high temperature capability above 2700 F. The fibrous monoliths can be back filled with an aluminum phosphate slurry to form a graded structure sandwich to improve the density and toughness to resist rain erosion and mechancial stresses. The work in this SBIR will continue ACI's work begun on the BAS to make functioning hypersonic missile radomes by the end of Phase II.

Keywords:
Hypersonic Missiles, Radomes, Barium Alumino Silicate, Ceramic Fibers, Ceramic Fibrous Monoliths, Ceramic Matrix Composites, Rf, Thermal And Erosional Compatibility

Advanced Cerametrics, Inc (ACI) has developed a new ceramic material to compete directly with the very high priced reaction bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) and obsolete Pyroceram radomes. ACI has built on earlier work done by NAVSEA to develop a repeatable and inexpensive process to produce radomes from Barium Alumino Silicate (BAS) using high temperature eutectic BAS fiber as a reinforcement for the BAS matrix ceramics and then, in order to make a sandwich structure, backfilling with an aluminum phosphate coating for erosion resistance and dielectric enhancement. These window materials must withstand temperature rises to > 1300 0 C in a few seconds, while being electronically compatible with missile systems and erosion resistant to Mach 6 raindrops. Very few materials meet these criteria. BAS has been shown to be an acceptable candidate and the proposed work will continue qualification of the material ongoing from the Phase I and an earlier program, while optimizing its properties in actual radome structures. The DOD prime supports this program fully and will cooperate every step of the way to get these new window materials qualified and in use in the fleet as soon as possible. Full size radomes will be built, based on data provided by ACI cooperative partners, and these will be evaluated to prepare for real time testing by the end of this Phase II effort. Project goals include building full scale radomes at less than 1/10 the cost of RBSN, yet within the operational parameters required of hypersonic missiles.

Keywords:
Ceramic Fibrous Monoliths, Ceramic Fibers, Barium Aluminosilicate, Radomes, Hypersonic Missiles, Thermal And Erosional Compatibility, Ceramic Matrix C