Rocket motor insulation – different fillers and their effect on rheological behavior and internal structure

Abstract. The use of polymer composite materials in aerospace as heat protection systems has been a common practice for many years. Protecting structures against extreme temperatures are crucial here. These materials, also called insulations, must withstand temperatures of up to 3000 °C including abrasion effects. They are often consist of complex polymer mixtures filled with fibers and particles. In cooperation with Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU), Bayern-Chemie (BC) has conducted extensive research on rheological behavior of such complex polymer mixtures. A special focus was on the influence of the fillers (fibers and/ or particles) on the internal structure. In order to examine these influences in more detail different simplified compositions were examined and compared by means of rheological oscillation measurements. Fiber mixtures have different internal structures compared to particle mixtures. These characteristics have different effects on the structure and influence the insulation according to the rheological behavior by variation of the amount of filler material.