Thermal Protective Coatings for Interceptor Missiles

This SBIR project will address the combined effects of aerothermal heating, rain erosion, and moisture and gas diffusion on the degradation of interceptor missile radomes designed for hypersonic travel. A novel method of protecting hypersonic interceptor missiles from the rigors experienced at velocities several times the speed of sound is proposed. The technology is based on the conversion of a polysilylene into silicate using novel conversion methods. The coating will be applied as a solution of polymer that will be subsequently bonded intramolecularly (crosslinked) to form a tough, insoluble material. The crosslinked polymer will then be converted to a thermally stable silicate capable of mitigating high temperature degradation and weather/atmospheric erosion. The coating will be a reinforcement layer designed to act in concert with current ceramic radomes and composite radome materials currently in development.