Abstract
Montmorillonite (MMT) was added to silicone rubber (SR) to improve the ablation resistance of the silicone. Following this, different quantities of silicon carbide whiskers (SiCw) were incorporated into the MMT/SR to yield a hybrid, ablative composite. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite increased after the addition of MMT. The ablation test results showed that MMT helped to form a covering layer by bonding with the silica and other components on the ablated surface. The linear and mass ablation rates exhibited decreases of 22.5% and 18.2%, respectively, in comparison to a control sample. After further incorporation of SiCw as the second filler, the resulting composites exhibited significantly higher tensile strength and ablation resistance, but not particularly lower elongation at break in comparison to the control sample. The SiCw/MMT fillers were beneficial in forming a dense and compact covering layer that delayed the heat and oxygen diffusion into the inner layers, which improved the ablation properties effectively. The remaining whiskers acted as a micro skeleton to maintain the composite’s char strength. Compared to the control sample, the linear and mass ablation rates of the composite after incorporating 6 phr SiCw and 10 phr MMT decreased by 59.2% and 43.6%, respectively. These experimental results showed that the fabricated composites exhibited outstanding mechanical properties and excellent ablation resistance.
Highlights
Polymeric ablative materials play a strategic role in the thermal protection system of rocket nozzles, space vehicles and rocket combustion chambers [1,2,3]
Guan et al [14] reported a decrease in the linear ablation rate and an increase in the mass ablation rate of a montmorillonite (MMT)-reinforced hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HBNR) composite compared to silica or expanded graphite reinforced composites
The incorporation incorporation of of MMT slightly rates decreased by 22.5% and 18.2%, respectively, compared to the control sample
Summary
Polymeric ablative materials play a strategic role in the thermal protection system of rocket nozzles, space vehicles and rocket combustion chambers [1,2,3]. Guan et al [14] reported a decrease in the linear ablation rate and an increase in the mass ablation rate of a montmorillonite (MMT)-reinforced hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HBNR) composite compared to silica or expanded graphite reinforced composites He et al [23] found that the dispersion of MMT in the elastomer matrix played an important role in the ablation performance of MMT-filled EPDM composites. High quantities of dense inorganic fillers are added to elastomers to develop the desired properties in the resulting composite This can lead to a significant decrease in flexibility and a considerable increase in density. Silicon carbide whiskers (SiCw) have generally been used as a reinforcing material in ceramic, metal and polymer matrices because of their outstanding oxidative stability, high temperature strength and high thermal shock resistance [33,34,35].
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