Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
    • F-L
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
    • M-S
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
    • T-Z
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    • September 2023
    • June 2023
    • March 2023
    • December 2022
    • SHOWCASE 2023
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe to magazine Subscribe to email newsletter Media Pack
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    1. Showcase 2024
    2. September 2023
    3. June 2023
    4. March 2023
    5. December 2022
    6. SHOWCASE 2023
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    3rd November 2023

    In this Issue – Showcase 2024

    Online Magazines By Ben Sampson
    Recent

    In this Issue – Showcase 2024

    3rd November 2023

    In this Issue – September 2023

    30th August 2023

    In this Issue – June 2023

    7th June 2023
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
Fatigue Testing

US researchers test thinner heatshield material made from carbon nanotubes

Ben SampsonBy Ben Sampson19th November 20192 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
heat shield material
Industrial and manufacturing engineering research faculty members professor Zhiyong (Richard) Liang, Ph.D. holds a piece of thin heat shields for 'superfast' aircraft

Researchers in the USA are testing a thin heatshield built from carbon nanotubes that could be used in supersonic and hypersonic aircraft.

A research team at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering working at Florida State University’s High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) has used carbon nanotubes, linked hexagons of carbon atoms in the shape of a cylinder, to build heat shields. The sheets of nanotubes, also known as “buckypaper,” were soaked in a resin made of a compound called phenol, enabling the researchers to create a lightweight, flexible material that is also durable enough to potentially protect the body of a rocket or jet from the intense heat it faces while flying.

The research, which is being published in the November edition of CARBON involved building heat shields of different thicknesses and applying various tests, such as applying a flame to see how they prevented heat from reaching the carbon fiber layer they were meant to protect. Researchers also bent the samples to assess their strength after heating.

“Right now, our flight systems are becoming more and more high-speed, even going into hypersonic systems, which are five times the speed of sound,” said Professor Richard Liang, director of the HPMI. “When you have speeds that high, there’s more heat on a surface. Therefore, we need a much better thermal protection system.”

They found the samples with sheets of buckypaper were better than control samples at dispersing heat and keeping it from reaching the base layer. They also stayed strong and flexible compared to control samples made without protective layers of nanotubes.

The flexibility meant the nanotubes are less vulnerable to cracking at high temperatures compared to ceramics, a typical heat shield material. The carbon nanotubes are also lighter weight than ceramics, suiting them to use in aerospace as a heatshield.

 

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleMore accurate smoke meter for gas turbines and jet engines launched
Next Article Using commercial 5G technology for telemetry in flight testing
Ben Sampson

Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.

Related Posts

News

NASA partners with Boeing on Mach 4 passenger aircraft

25th August 20233 Mins Read
Fatigue Testing

Mecmesin updates OmniTest universal testing machine range

10th July 20233 Mins Read
Drones & Air Taxis

Researchers measure how ground effect increases propeller noise

26th May 20233 Mins Read
Latest Posts

Eve completes London eVTOL aircraft ATM simulation

30th November 2023

First transatlantic flight made using pure SAF blend

29th November 2023

How the latest materials testing methods replicate a range of possible flight conditions

29th November 2023
Supplier Spotlight
  • Dewesoft
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Free Email Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Media Pack
Related Topics
  • Aircraft Interiors
  • Business Jet Interiors
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the 'best of the week' from this website direct to your inbox every Wednesday

© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.