Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Reactive Polymers for Severe Environment Protection

摘要

Leading-edge, fundamental research in polymer technology is often directed towards those applications requiring dramatic improvements in temperature or oxidation resistance. While non-reactive polymers systems are often desired, many benefits can be realized by utilizing inorganic, reactive molecules within the polymer matrix. In such systems, a sacrificial layer of the hybrid polymer is destroyed until passivation occurs. Over the last decade the Air Force Research Laboratory has studied how the incorporation of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS), which are nanostructured chemicals, can be used for protective coatings in oxygen rich environments. This talk will detail the strategy employed for using sacrificial nanocomposites along with applied research in the areas of solid rocket motor insulation and space-survivable materials.