Title: Evaluation of a Modified Fused Filament Fabrication Material for Use As Thermal Protection

Authors: Steven Kim, Alexa Devega, Mallory Sico, Hao Wu, William Fahy, Kevin Holder, and Joseph H. Koo

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.19.1577

Abstract: As additive manufacturing (AM) increasingly gains commercial and academic interest, government agencies, such as NASA seeks to produce thermal protection systems (TPS) using AM methods, for example fused filament fabrication (FFF). The purpose of this study is to develop a suitable polyetherimide (ULTEM™ 1010) nanocomposite with enhanced ablation and thermal properties while maintaining compatibility with commercially available FFF machines. Eleven formulations have been compounded using the twin-screw extruder with varying amounts of nanoclay (NC), glass bubbles (GB), and flame retardant (FR) additives. These formulations were characterized with microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, microstructural analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Lastly, ablation testing was conducted using oxy-acetylene test bed (OTB) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). After full characterization, the material density, char yield, and thermal properties were observed and recorded.

References: [1] Chu, M. Q., Wang, L., Ding, H. Y., & Sun, Z. G. (2015). Additive manufacturing for aerospace application. Applied Mechanics and Materials, 798, 457-461. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.798.457 [2] Wu, H., Sulkis, M., Driver, J., Saade-Castillo, A., Thompson, A., & Koo, J. H. (2018). Multi-functional ULTEM™1010 composite filaments for additive manufacturing using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Additive Manufacturing,24, 298-306. doi:10.1016/j.addma.2018.10.014

Conference: SAMPE 2019 - Charlotte, NC

Publication Date: 2019/05/20

SKU: TP19--1577

Pages: 16

Price: FREE