Thermal Behavior of Carbon-Phenolic/Silica Phenolic Dual-Layer Ablator Specimens through Arc-Jet Tests.

We studied the behavioral characteristics of a newly developed dual-layer ablator, which uses carbon-phenolic as a recession layer and silica-phenolic as an insulating layer. The ablator specimens were tested in a 0.4 MW supersonic arc-jet plasma wind tunnel, employing two different shapes (flat-faced and hemispherical-faced) and varying thicknesses of the carbon-phenolic recession layer. The specimens underwent two test conditions, namely, stationary tests (7.5 MW/m2, ~40 s) and transient tests simulating an interplanetary spacecraft re-entry heat flux trajectory (6.25↔9.4 MW/m2, ~108 s). During the stationary tests, stagnation point temperatures of the specimens were measured. Additionally, internal temperatures of the specimens were measured at three locations for both stationary and transient tests: inside the carbon-phenolic recession layer, inside the silica-phenolic insulating layer, and at the recession layer-insulating layer intersection. The hemispherical-faced specimen surface temperatures were about 3000 K, which is about 350 K higher than those of flat-faced specimens, resulting in higher internal temperatures. The recession layer internal temperatures rose more exponentially when moved closer to the specimen stagnation point. Layer interaction and insulating layer internal temperatures were found to be dependent on both the recession layer thickness and the exposed surface shape. The change in exposed surface shape increased mass loss and recession, with hemispherical-faced specimens showing ~1.4-fold higher values than the flat-faced specimens.

Arc-Jet Tests of Carbon-Phenolic-Based Ablative Materials for Spacecraft Heat Shield Applications.

We developed and tested two carbon-phenolic-based ablators for future Korean spacecraft heat shield applications. The ablators are developed with two layers: an outer recession layer, fabricated from carbon-phenolic material, and an inner insulating layer, fabricated either from cork or silica-phenolic material. The ablator specimens were tested in a 0.4 MW supersonic arc-jet plasma wind tunnel at heat flux conditions ranging from 6.25 MW/m2 to 9.4 MW/m2, with either specimen being stationary or transient. Stationary tests were conducted for 50 s each as a preliminary investigation, and the transient tests were conducted for ~110 s each to stimulate a spacecraft's atmospheric re-entry heat flux trajectory. During the tests, each specimen's internal temperatures were measured at three locations: 25 mm, 35 mm, and 45 mm from the specimen stagnation point. During the stationary tests, a two-color pyrometer was used to measure specimen stagnation-point temperatures. During the preliminary stationary tests, the silica-phenolic-insulated specimen's reaction was normal compared to the cork-insulated specimen; hence, only the silica-phenolic-insulated specimens were further subjected to the transient tests. During the transient tests, the silica-phenolic-insulated specimens were stable, and the internal temperatures were lower than 450 K (~180 °C), achieving the main objective of this study.

Thermal Ablation Experiments of Carbon Phenolic and SiC-Coated Carbon Composite Materials Using a High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Torch.

For future spacecraft TPS (heat shield) applications, ablation experiments of carbon phenolic material specimens with two lamination angles (0° and 30°) and two specially designed SiC-coated carbon-carbon composite specimens (with either cork or graphite base) were conducted using an HVOF material ablation test facility. The heat flux test conditions ranged from 3.25 to 11.5 MW/m2, corresponding to an interplanetary sample return re-entry heat flux trajectory. A two-color pyrometer, an IR camera, and thermocouples (at three internal locations) were used to measure the specimen temperature responses. At the 11.5 MW/m2 heat flux test condition, the 30° carbon phenolic specimen's maximum surface temperature value is approximately 2327 K, which is approximately 250 K higher than the corresponding value of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. The 30° carbon phenolic specimen's recession value is approximately 44-fold greater, and the internal temperature values are approximately 1.5-fold lower than the corresponding values of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. This indicates that increased surface ablation and a higher surface temperature relatively reduced heat transfer to the 30° carbon phenolic specimen's interior, leading to lower internal temperature values compared to those of the SiC-coated specimen with a graphite base. During the tests, a phenomenon of periodic explosions occurred on the 0° carbon phenolic specimen surfaces. The 30° carbon phenolic material is considered more suitable for TPS applications due to its lower internal temperatures, as well as the absence of abnormal material behavior as observed in the 0° carbon phenolic material.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Vacuum Plasma Sprayed HfC, TiC, and HfC/TiC Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramic Coatings.

To improve the oxidation resistance of carbon composites at high temperatures, hafnium carbide (HfC) and titanium carbide (TiC) ultra-high-temperature ceramic coatings were deposited using vacuum plasma spraying. Single-layer HfC and TiC coatings and multilayer HfC/TiC coatings were fabricated and compared. The microstructure and composition of the fabricated coatings were analyzed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The coating thicknesses of the HfC and TiC single-layer coatings were 165 µm and 140 µm, respectively, while the thicknesses of the HfC and TiC layers in the HfC/TiC multi-layer coating were 40 µm and 50 µm, respectively. No oxides were observed in any of the coating layers. The porosity was analyzed from cross-sectional images of the coating layers obtained using optical microscopy. Five random areas for each coating layer specimen were analyzed, and average porosity values of approximately 16.8% for the HfC coating and 22.5% for the TiC coating were determined. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the coating layers were investigated by measuring the hardness of the cross section and surface roughness. The hardness values of the HfC and TiC coatings were 1650.7 HV and 753.6 HV, respectively. The hardness values of the HfC and TiC layers in the multilayer sample were 1563.5 HV and 1059.2 HV, respectively. The roughness values were 5.71 µm for the HfC coating, 4.30 µm for the TiC coating, and 3.32 µm for the HfC/TiC coating.