Fri, 20 December, 2024
We have been presented with a number of innovative technologies from the ‘Prepare for Space’ initiative, which has been created to help UK companies break into the space industry.
One of these technologies with potential applications in the space industry are ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) produced by UK materials development SME, Lucideon.
The properties of these materials allow them to survive mechanical loading and high temperature environments. Incorporating fibres into the material matrix helps address the brittleness normally associated with monolithic ceramics, allowing organisations to benefit from improved performance, efficiency and sustainability for high temperature space applications.
Lucideon have been working with different fibre formulations and matrixes to produce CMCs capable of withstanding temperatures reaching 2000°C+ with good chemical stability, making them ideal for reusable thermal protection systems and leading edges for hypersonic vehicles. These materials also offer solutions for other applications, such as propulsion systems, where their high strength-to-weight ratio acts as an additional benefit alongside the high temperature properties.
Find Out More
You can find out more about these materials, including an insight into how they are created and can be tailored for specific uses, here.
If you would like to explore this technology further for potential applications, please get in touch with us by emailing contactus@esa-technology-broker.co.uk.