Products > High Temperature Composites > Flexible Thermal Protection Systems

Flexible Thermal Protection Systems

The Advanced Composites group has developed thin, flexible CMCs that can bend to a 3.5” radius of curvature. Available as both PSC-10 C/SiC as well as UHT-21 refractory-modified composites.

Thin, stackable CMC sheets with bend radii as small as 3.5”

Capability Description:

These thin sheets can be fabricated as either PSC-10 or UHT-21 and exhibit a bend radius as small as 3.5”. Flex sheets can be stacked to build up the thickness while retaining their flexibility or used individually as skins. Additionally, flex stacks can be fabricated in complex geometries to ensure complete nesting of the individual sheets in the final component.

Key Features:

Individual flex sheets are 0.015” thick
Available in PSC-10 or UHT-21 system
Bend radii down to 3.5” with no cyclic fatigue for thousands of cycles
Thermal performance equivalent to PSI’s monolithic CMCs
Fully processed sheets can be stacked to build thickness without loss of flexibility
Can be fabricated in complex geometries

Stack in H₂/O₂ Torch Test

The video to the right shows a ½” stack of ten flex sheets (6 PSC-10 with 2 UHT-21 on each face, top and bottom) in an actuating H₂O₂ torch rig at Teledyne Scientific, one of our testing partners. This video was taken after 20 minutes exposure at ~3400°F to pure water vapor. The stack remains flexible through the duration of the test.

PSI Products

High Temperature Composites

PSC-10

Baseline C/SiC CMCs with service temps up to 3000°F

UHT-21

Refractory-modified C/SiC CMCs with service temps up to 5000°F

Hybrid Composite Systems

Co-fabrication of PSC-10 and UHT-21 to save weight and cost without loss of performance.

Castable, Chopped Fiber Composites

Low-cost, castable C/SiC alternative to our laminated composites

Pre-preg Braiding of Organic Composites

Rapid fabrication of organic preforms via braiding of woven pre-preg tapes

Direct Z-pin Insertion

Z-directional reinforcement of laminated composites without loss of properties in x-y plane

Flexible Thermal Protection Systems

Thin, stackable CMC sheets with bend radii as small as 3.5”

Chemical Vapor Deposition

Coating application to fibers and fabrics