Producing ablative thermal protection systems by additive manufacturing

Figures & data

Figure 1. Light microscopy image (left) and SEM image (right) of a printed sample.

Table 1. Char yield values for samples with varying nanoclay concentrations.

Sample	Char Yield (wt%)
3 %	54.57
5 %	53.70
7 %	57.13

Figure 2. Char yield curves of composite samples with various nanoclay contents.

Figure 3. Viscosity as a function of temperature of composite samples.

Table 2. The gelation temperatures of different samples with varying nanoclay contents.

Sample	Gelation Temperature (°C)
3 %	52
5 %	68
7 %	77

Figure 4. Arrhenius plot used to calculate the activation energy of the composite polymerization.

Table 3. Activation energies of the three different samples containing different amounts of nanoclay.

Sample	Activation Energy (kJ/mol)
3 %	8.89
5 %	10.39
7 %	9.96

Figure 5. Stress-strain curves of with grain (left) and across grain (right) samples.

Figure 6. Ultimate tensile strengths and moduli of longitudinal and transverse orientations.

Figure 7. Printer modification with labeled axis. Arrows indicate positive direction of rotation or movement.

Figure 8. The modified 3D PotterBot 10 Micro printer with 5 axis control.

Figure 9. Composite dome produced via additive manufacturing from the composite formulation before cure (A) and after cure (B).

Table

Specification	Value
Translational Axes Limits (X, Y, Z)	10” (280 mm), 10” (265 mm), 8” (203 mm)
Rotational Axes Limits (U, V)	+/− 200 degrees, no limit
3D Printer Size (LxWxH)	30” x 21” x 28”
Operation Space Needed (WxLxH)	22” x 30” x 50”
Nozzle Diameter	5mm
Weight with Extruder	38 lbs. (17 kg)
Average Print Speed	20mm/s
Maximum Print Speed	130mm/s
Power Supply	Output: 24 V 6 amps, Input: 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz
Power Consumption	24V 3 amps, 72 Watt

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data associated with the results of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials.