refractory Materials

Refractory materials are generally classified as non-metals, metals, ceramics, and alloys thereof that melt or otherwise change from a solid form at temperatures above 3000°F. There are a variety of technical challenges associated with high temperature material design including their thermal-structural and thermal-chemical response during operation. Materials exposed to such high temperatures can be subjected to drastic changes in material properties and they can chemically interact with adjoining materials, often causing unfavorable reactions. Analyses that utilize credible temperature dependent material property databases are essential for realistic and high fidelity theoretical modeling. 


PDI has relevant thermal-structural design experience with the following materials:

NON-METALS/METALS

Carbon/graphite/pyrolytic graphite/grafoil (C), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), tantalum (Ta), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), iridium (Ir), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), beryllium (Be), aluminum (AL), copper (Cu), silicon (Si), and silver (Ag).

oxides

Zirconia (ZrO2), hafnia (HfO2), silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), tantala (Ta2O5), and Zycron-H.

carbides

Zirconium-carbide (ZrC), hafnium-carbide (HfC), silicon-carbide (SiC), tantalum-carbide (TaC), boron-carbide (B4C), and titanium-carbide (TiC).

NITRIDES

Zirconium-nitride (ZrN), hafnium-nitride (HfN), and silicon-nitride (Si3N4).

 

borides

Zirconium-diboride (ZrB2), hafnium-diboride (HfB2), and titanium-diboride (TiB2).

alloys

Tungsten-rhenium, tungsten-rhenium-hafnium carbide, copper infiltrated tungsten, tungsten-lanthanum, molybdenum-rhenium, niobium C103, TZM molybdenum, Muntz metal, aluminum-bronze, beryllium-copper, Glidcop AL-15, GRCop-84, hafnium-tantalum, hafnium-tantalum-molybdenum, tantalum-tungsten, hafnium-tantalum-nitrogen, titanium 6Al-4V, iridium-rhodium, steel (various grades), and aluminum alloys (various grades).

Nickel- and Cobalt-Based Superalloys

Various Superalloys including: Haynes 214, Inconel alloy 600, Inconel alloy 625, and Inconel alloy 783.

Composites

The use of composite materials offers the designer many variables for use in optimization of the specific component due to their inherent tailorability. The fiber performs can be manufactured using a variety of constructions including orthogonal weaves, polar weaves, braiding, involutes, filament winding, 2D layups, 4D layups, and needling. The fibers can be carbon-based, made from rayon, PAN, or pitch precursors, or ceramic-based. The matrix can be an organic-, metal-, or ceramic-based material. PDI has relevant thermal-structural design experience with the following composite materials:

Carbon/phenolic (tape), silica/phenolic (tape and molded), carbon/carbon, carbon/zirconium carbide, carbon/hafnium carbide, carbon/hafnium diboride, carbon/hafnium nitride, carbon/hafnium carbide, carbon/silicon carbide, carbon/zirconia carbide, and carbon/carbon+silicon carbide.