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Materials Research & Design (MR&D) provides research and design services to the advanced materials community, specializing in the areas of composite materials for the aerospace industry. Due to SBIR funding, MR&D’s total annual sales revenue for 2005 jumped from $710,785 to $3,008,728, and the number of employees increased from 8 to 25. The technology developed under this SBIR program helped MR&D win a series of contracts under the NASA Next Generation Launch Technology Program, which contributed $8.4 million in total revenue.
The Navy has an immediate need for an alternative to the metallic blast shield currently used on the AV-8B Harrier aircraft. The blast shield protects the fuselage from the harsh exhaust environment, but the existing component exhibits severe degradation due to the high thermal and acoustic loads. BlackglasTM Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) have been identified as potential replacement for existing steel blast shields that require significant maintenance because of thermal and acoustic loads. However, the composites cannot be employed in the fleet until further testing, development, and repair procedures have been established.
Materials Research & Design (MR&D) has developed ceramic matrix composites, which can be used to manufacture replacements parts for certain Navy jet and helicopter metal components. MR&D’s test data demonstrated that the repaired panel restored 95 percent of the load-carrying capability of the baseline composite. In addition, a micromechanical model and a thermal/acoustic finite element model were created to evaluate the effects of damage and design repairs on ceramic matrix composites. These models help MR&D to further develop repairs that arise from normal wear, abuse, and battle damage. MR&D received funding to develop analytical models and perform experiments to understand the effects of the operating environment (temperature, chemical species) on the structural properties of the CMC nozzle components in the AV-8B Joint Strike Fighter. MR&D has also received a contract from NAVSEA to design and analyze CMC components that have been successfully ground tested in the divert and attitude control system Standard Missile-3 Trident.
MR&D’s ceramic matrix composites increase the cycle life and reduce repair costs of wing metal components on Naval jets and helicopters, such as AV-8B. Ceramic matrix composite materials tolerate a higher operating temperature in power turbines, which increases their efficiency and reduces the amount of oil needed for their operation.
Kent Buesking
Materials Research & Design
300 E. Swedesford Rd
Wayne, PA 19087-1858
Phone: (610) 964-9000 ext: 100
Email: buesking@m-r-d.com
Website: www.m-r-d.com