[AR] Re: glass-fluoroplastic composite \ Re: Re: SpaceX failure update
- From: David Weinshenker <daze39@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2016 17:21:28 -0800
On 11/06/2016 05:04 PM, Anthony Cesaroni wrote:
It's towpreg tape using a fluoropolymer matrix. The
tape head has an infrared heater and roller to liquefy
and place the laminate and it's simultaneously cooled
at the roll head using a cold gun.
Sounds like it could be a touchy process... you'd have to get
the stuff wicked hot (by ordinary plastic-welding standards):
how much margin is there between the temperature at which the
fluoropolymer is fluid enough to fuse properly, and the temperature
at which it starts to decompose (degrading the material properties
as well as fluorinating the place)...?
I'm guessing the answer is "the margin is negative: this is
the reason for the rapid post-placement cooling, to minimize
the total hot-time for any given bit of material, in order to
try to keep the overall amount of decomposition within acceptable
levels"...
This one is tingling my process-engineering spider sense.
-dave w
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