The Air Force's Integrated High-Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technologies (IHPRPT) Program has established aggressive goals for both improved performance and reduced cost of rocket engines and components. Achieving these goals relies on developing affordable Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) technologies for application to Liquid Rocket Engines (LREs). Efforts are being conducted on three types of MMCs: Aluminum, Copper, and Nickel matrix material systems. Potential applications include turbopump housings, rotating machinery, and high stiffness flanges and ductwork. This article will address affordability goals, and review the lHPRPT goals as well as the current material requirements for MMC technologies being developed for application to LREs. The authors conclude that MMCs are considered mid-term material solutions to rocket component needs. The potential to spread development costs over several industries make MMC technologies affordable to develop. The potential to tailor specific properties and produce near-net shape components with small capital investment promises to make MMC fabrication technologies affordable for the extremely low production rates of rocket engine components. On the current IHPRPT roadmaps, components employing MMCs should be demonstrated in 2005 with advances continuing through 2010. In the far term, weight and turbine inlet temperature goals may force the community away from metallic materials and toward ceramic and CMC material systems. Thermal and environmental coatings technologies will also require development. However, ductility requirements, geometric constraints, and environmental compatibility needs in rocket engines ensure that metal matrix composites will play an important role in rocket technology development for the foreseeable future. The report includes 37 viewgraphs.


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