Evaluation of oxidation protection testing methods on ultra-high temperature ceramic coatings for carbon-carbon oxidation resistance

The development of carbon-carbon (C-C) composites for aerospace applications has prompted the need for ways to improve the poor oxidation resistance of these materials, In order to evaluate and test materials to be used as thermal protection system (TPS) material the need for readily available and reliable testing methods are critical to the success of materials development efforts, With the purpose to evaluate TPS materials, three testing methods were used to assess materials at high temperatures (> 2000°C) and heat flux in excess of 200 Wcm^-2. The first two methods are located at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia National Laboratories, which are the Solar Furnace Facility and the Solar Tower Facility, The third method is an oxyacetylene torch set up according to ASTM E285-80 with oxidizing flame control and maximum achievable temperatures in excess of 2000°C In this study, liquid precursors to ultra high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have been developed into multilayer coatings on C-C composites and evaluated using the oxidation testing methods. The tests will be discussed in detail and correlated with preliminary materials evaluation results with the aim of presenting an understanding of the testing environment on the materials evaluated for oxidation resistance.