Repurposable Structural Composite Utilization (ReSCU) Materials, Year 1

This work will leverage recent progress in the development of repurposable matrix materials that has been made in a NASA-funded SBIR effort, in-house expertise in chemical synthesis and polymer science, and the systems analysis capabilities available at Langley. This effort will be comprised of two parallel efforts:\n \n1. Exploring the literature on potential chemical strategies for enabling repurposability. We will begin with the well-known Diels-Alder cycloaddition approach and expand into analogous areas. The most significant challenge will be achieving repurposability without degrading mechanical performance below acceptable levels.\n \n2. Conducting a systems analysis study to develop more quantitatively accurate estimates of the mass fraction of potentially repurposable composite materials on current lander concept vehicles and to better understand the types and quantities of structures, components, and parts that could be fabricated from the repurposed material. This study will also consider the cost and complexity of transporting the additional equipment required for repurposing and determine how significantly this detracts from the mass benefits. Developing a more complete understanding of the trade space will strengthen a future GCD proposal.\n Completing this work with IRAD support will place us in a much stronger position when the topic is proposed to the GCD program in STMD. This concept was proposed this year for a 2020 start and ranked as highly selectable by the review committee. However, it will need to be presented to the integration panel again, as part of the program planning cycle in FY 19. This effort would allow us to dramatically improve the quality of the proposal by seeding some foundational work to address the logistics questions raised by the integration panel and improve the chances of funding in FY 20. Because mission and vehicle designs are being actively developed, it is critical that this work begin now if it is to have any chance of being considered for use.

This project will develop structural composite materials that can be repurposed for other uses after they have served their original purpose. Current thermoset matrix composite recycling methods are very energy intensive, destroy the matrix phase, and significantly degrade the properties of the reinforcing fibers. As a result, these methods are expensive, dirty, and yield parts with properties that are drastically inferior to the virgin material. We will develop matrix chemistries that feature reversible crosslink bonding while maintaining mechanical properties that meet mechanical performance requirements. \n \nCurrent conceptual designs for planetary landers make extensive use of composite materials because of their combination of high strength and stiffness, and low mass. Because these composites are not repurposable, however, hundreds of kilograms of valuable materials are essentially discarded after landing. Multiplying this wasted mass by the estimated $1.2M/kg commercial cost of landing mass on the lunar surface yields a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars per landing. Extending this analysis to a Mars mission magnifies the effect because the lander will be larger and contain a greater mass of composite material, and because the cost of transporting mass, or the gear ratio, will be even greater.\n \nThe raw materials and energy required to produce composite materials are plentiful and affordable on Earth. Because of this, it is cheaper to fabricate, use, and discard composites than to recycle them, particularly when the performance degradation is factored in. As a result, there has been little economic incentive to invest in the development of repurposable composites. On other planetary surfaces, however, raw materials are unavailable, energy supplies are highly constrained, and transportation costs are extremely high, which inverts the economic case for repurposing. If successful, this concept would be an enabling technology for future Mars exploration missions by dramatically reducing the redundant mass that must be transported from Earth. This enables cargo space dedicated to infrastructure, tools, and spare parts to be dedicated to additional supplies and scientific payload. This work will have cross-cutting benefits in the aircraft and automotive industries, where increasing quantities of composites are being used to improve vehicle efficiency. Current conceptual designs for planetary landers make extensive use of composite materials because of their combination of high strength and stiffness, and low mass. Because these composites are not repurposable, however, hundreds of kilograms of valuable materials are essentially discarded after landing. Multiplying this wasted mass by the estimated $1.2M/kg commercial cost of landing mass on the lunar surface yields a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars per landing. Extending this analysis to a Mars mission magnifies the effect because the lander will be larger and contain a greater mass of composite material, and because the cost of transporting mass, or the gear ratio, will be even greater.

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