The frustum, aft and forward skirt metal structure of the Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) vehicle for the Space Shuttle launch system has over 32000 exposed metal fastener surfaces that require polysulfide sealant application to prevent the corrosive action of salt water. The SRB structure is recovered from the ocean after Space Shuttle launch for reuse. Sealing by conventional methods proved to be both time consuming and costly. An improved method has been developed that couples high reliability with low installation and inspection costs. The improved method utilizes properly sized flexible plastic caps filled with catalyzed polysulfide sealant, frozen and stored. At the time of use, the caps and sealant are thawed and physically positioned on the fasteners. The sealant covers the exposed portion of the fastener and prevents salt water damage. Filling of the caps with sealant can be automated for low cost and is a standardized operation, contrary to direct application of sealant to the fasteners, which is highly operator-dependent. The application of the sealant filled caps to cover the fasteners is rapid and does not require a high degree of operator skill, as does the direct application of sealant to the fasteners. (Stoehr)
Improved and lower cost sealing of aerospace structure
Verbesserte und kostenguenstige Abdichtungsverfahren fuer Raumfahrtbauteile
1979
10 Seiten, 9 Bilder
Conference paper
English
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