AeroMat Home      Exposition      To Register      ASM Homepage
Back to "Session 2: Emerging Materials and Processes for Propulsion Systems" Search
  Back to "Emerging Materials and Processes" Search  Back to Main Search

Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:30 AM
EMP2.4

Application of Oxidation/Corrosion Resistant Coatings to Rocket Engine Combustion Chamber Liners Using Kinetic Metallization

D. Ulmer, Inovati, Santa Barbara, CA

Oxidation/corrosion resistant coatings are being developed to extend the life of regeneratively-cooled, copper-alloy liners in the extreme environments found in rocket engine combustion chambers such as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) Main Combustion Chamber (MCC). In this study, powder metal coatings including Cu-Cr and NiCrAlY were applied to copper alloy test coupons using an innovative low-temperature spray process called Kinetic Metallization. Oxidation/corrosion performance of the coatings was evaluated using static weight gain tests in oxidizing/reducing environments as well as in dynamic burner rig test facilities located at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Testing of coated tensile and fatigue specimens was conducted to evaluate the effect, if any, of the coatings on mechanical properties of the copper alloy substrate material. In addition, the intrinsic mechanical and thermophysical properties of the coating materials were characterized. The most up-to-date results from this multi-year program will be presented. Kinetic Metallization (KM) is a solid-state powder metal spray process developed by Innovative Technologies, Inc. (dba Inovati) of Santa Barbara, CA. In the KM process, micron-size powder particles are entrained in an inert carrier gas and are accelerated to high velocities (500-1000 m/sec) through a specially designed, friction compensated spray nozzle. The powder particles have sufficient kinetic energy to plastically deform and metallurgically bond during impact on a metallic, ceramic, plastic or glass substrate. Because the KM process is done at low temperatures and in an inert environment it is especially well suited to materials that are sensitive to impurity pickup like copper or titanium.