NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Qualification Status of Non-Asbestos Internal Insulation in the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor ProgramThis paper provides a status of the qualification efforts associated with NASA's RSRMV non-asbestos internal insulation program. For many years, NASA has been actively engaged in removal of asbestos from the shuttle RSRM motors due to occupation health concerns where technicians are working with an EPA banned material. Careful laboratory and subscale testing has lead to the downselect of a organic fiber known as Polybenzimidazol to replace the asbestos fiber filler in the existing synthetic rubber copolymer Nitrile Butadiene - now named PBI/NBR. Manufacturing, processing, and layup of the new material has been a challenge due to the differences in the baseline shuttle RSRM internal insulator properties and PBI/NBR material properties. For this study, data gathering and reduction procedures for thermal and chemical property characterization for the new candidate material are discussed. Difficulties with test procedures, implementation of properties into the Charring Material Ablator (CMA) codes, and results correlation with static motor fire data are provided. After two successful five segment motor firings using the PBI/NBR insulator, performance results for the new material look good and the material should eventually be qualified for man rated use in large solid rocket motor applications.
Document ID
20120002898
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Clayton, Louie
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
December 5, 2011
Subject Category
Composite Materials
Report/Patent Number
M11-0707
Meeting Information
Meeting: JANNAF 8th Modeling and Simulation Subcommittee Meeting
Location: Huntsville, AL
Country: United States
Start Date: December 5, 2011
End Date: December 9, 2011
Sponsors: Department of the Air Force, Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, NASA Headquarters
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available