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Low-Erosion, Light-Weight Rhenium Graphite Composites for SDACS

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: HQ0147-11-C-7584
Agency Tracking Number: B103-019-0442
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: MDA10-019
Solicitation Number: 2010.3
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2010
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-05-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
4914 Moores Mill Road
Huntsville, AL 35811-1558
United States
DUNS: 799114574
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Anatoliy Shchetkovskiy
 El-Form Manager
 (256) 851-7653
 ashchetkovskiy@plasmapros.com
Business Contact
 Timothy McKechnie
Title: President/Senior Materials Engineer
Phone: (256) 851-7653
Email: timmck@plasmapros.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Rhenium is the current material of choice for several critical valve components in a solid divert and attitude control system (DACS) due to its erosion resistance, high-temperature strength, and compatibility with propellant exhaust products. However, bulk rhenium is disadvantaged by being expensive and extremely dense. In order to reduce cost and weight of rhenium DACS components, a different approach must be considered. Rhenium-coated graphite can offer both superior erosion resistance and strength while reducing component cost and weight. During this Phase 1 investigation, PPI will team with ATK to design a nozzle/pintle combination based on rhenium-coated graphite. Using PPI"s innovative EL-Form technique, rhenium will be electrochemically deposited onto a graphite nozzle/pintle combination. Process parameters will be optimized to ensure a uniform coating is produced on all graphite surfaces. The optimized parameters will be used to produce a nozzle that will then be hot gas tested at ATK"s facility. During Phase II, the processing parameters will be further optimized with an emphasis on multi-component processing to reduce component costs. Re-coated graphite nozzle/pintle components will then be fabricated and hot fire tested in ATK"s DACS. A key target acquisition for this technology will be the SM-3 Block IIB DACS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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