Abstract
Advanced spacecraft development requires high-performance thermal protection systems composed of materials with high particle-erosion resistance. In this study, a particle-erosion test motor was designed to produce a high-temperature particle jet. Subsequently, the effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) content and size on the particle-erosion resistance of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) composites were analyzed. Composites with an optimum CNT content exhibited the lowest ablation rates; extremely high or low CNT contents increased the ablation rate. Furthermore, the charring rate of the composites with long CNTs were 78.0% and 43.6% lower than those with the baseline-formula composition and those containing conventional CNTs, respectively. Here, the influence of CNT content and size on the particle-erosion resistance of EPDM composites was analyzed from the perspective of the thermal stability of the composites, as well as the char-layer characteristics and vapor deposition.
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