STTR Phase I: Development of Fourth Generation High Temperature Materials

这个小型企业技术转移(STTR)第一阶段项目将开发和表征一种新型的苯乙炔端基热固性聚酰亚胺/无机杂化树脂的结构、性能和加工关系。对于能够延长371-454C(700-900F)使用寿命的聚合物基复合材料(PMC)材料的需求日益增长，这些材料：(I)与现有制造工艺(高压罐、树脂传递模塑、树脂注入等)兼容，(Ii)至少表现出与尖端聚酰亚胺同等的机械性能和耐化学性，以及(Iii)能够经受国防航空航天、导弹、以及美国国家航空航天局和空军运载火箭应用的恶劣使用环境。具有这些性质的材料目前还不存在，但正在为这些和许多其他未来系统提供支持。目前最先进的PMC被限制在最高34摄氏度(650华氏度)的延长使用温度，适用于国防应用、深海钻探、商用飞机发动机和可重复使用运载火箭(RLV)技术所需的侵略性环境。工艺和性能的必要平衡，再加上有机化学的基本限制，就产生了这个极限。该项目的新混合方法结合了空军和NASA研究实验室开发的最先进热固性聚酰亚胺的已知结构-性能-加工关系，以及学术界和工业界对无机和有机/无机杂化聚合物的最新理解。从分子水平构建拟议的“第四代”材料代表了一种最先进的技术。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop and characterize the structure property- processing relationships for a novel class of phenylethynyl terminated thermosetting polyimide/inorganic hybrid resins. There exists a growing need for polymer matrix composite (PMC) materials capable of 371-454C (700-900F) extended service life durability that: (i) are compatible with existing fabrication procedures (autoclave, resin transfer molding, resin infusion, etc.), (ii) exhibit at least equivalent mechanical performance and chemical resistance to state of the art polyimides, and (iii) can withstand the aggressive service environments of defense aerospace, missile, and NASA and Air Force launch vehicle applications. Materials with these properties do not presently exist, but are enabling for these and many other future systems. Current state of the art PMCs are limited to, at best, 343C (650F) extended service temperatures for aggressive environments required in defense applications, deep sea drilling, commercial aircraft engines, and reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology. Necessary balancing of processing and performance combined with fundamental limitations in organic chemistry yield this limit. This project's novel hybrid approach combines known structure-property-processing relationships of state of the art thermosetting polyimides developed at Air Force and NASA research laboratories with the current understanding of inorganic and organic/inorganic hybrid polymers provided by academia and industry. Building the proposed "Fourth Generation" materials from the molecular level represents a state of the art technology.