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Oxygen Compatibility Testing of Composite MaterialsComposite materials offer significant weight-saving potential for aerospace applications in propellant and oxidizer tanks. This application for oxygen tanks presents the challenge of being oxygen compatible in addition to complying with the other required material characteristics. This effort reports on the testing procedures and data obtained in examining and selecting potential composite materials for oxygen tank usage. Impact testing of composites has shown that most of these materials initiate a combustion event when impacted at 72 ft-lbf in the presence of liquid oxygen, though testing has also shown substantial variability in reaction sensitivities to impact. Data for screening of 14 potential composites using the Bruceton method is given herein and shows that the 50-percent reaction frequencies range from 17 to 67 ft-lbf. The pressure and temperature rises for several composite materials were recorded to compare the energy releases as functions of the combustion reactions with their respective reaction probabilities. The test data presented are primarily for a test pressure of 300 psia in liquid oxygen. The impact screening process is compared with oxygen index and autogenous ignition test data for both the composite and the basic resin. The usefulness of these supplemental tests in helping select the most oxygen compatible materials is explored. The propensity for mechanical impact ignition of the composite compared with the resin alone is also examined. Since an ignition-free composite material at the peak impact energy of 72 ft-lbf has not been identified, composite reactivity must be characterized over the impact energy level and operating pressure ranges to provide data for hazard analyses in selecting the best potential material for liquid tank usage.
Document ID
20060025087
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Engel, Carl D.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Watkins, Casey N.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Subject Category
Composite Materials
Meeting Information
Meeting: 2006 National Space and Missile Materials Symposium
Location: Orlando, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: June 26, 2006
End Date: June 30, 2006
Sponsors: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Air Force Research Lab., Bolling Air Force Base
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-01050
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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