Fracture behavior of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · J. Am. Ceram. Soc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1983.tb10613.x· OSTI ID:6597193

Komine, A; Kobayashi, A S

Stable crack-growth and fracture-toughness experiments were conducted using precracked specimens machined from LI-900 reusable surface insulation (RSI) tiles of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system (TPS) at room temperature. Similar fracture experiments were conducted on fracture specimens with preexisting cracks at the interface of the tile and the strain isolation pad (SIP). Stable crack growth was not observed in the LI-900 tile fracture specimens which had a fracture toughness of 12.0 kPa sq rt of m. The intermittent subcritical crack growth at the tile-pad interface of the fracture specimens was attributed to successive local pull-outs due to tensile overload in the LI-900 tile and cannot be characterized by linear elastic fracture mechanics. No subcritical interfacial crack growth was observed in the fracture specimens with densified LI-900 tiles where brittle fracture initiated at an interior point away from the densification. 11 references.

• Research Organization: Komatsu, Ltd., Hiratsuka, Japan
• OSTI ID: 6597193
• Journal Information: J. Am. Ceram. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 66
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CERAMICS
CRACK PROPAGATION
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
SILICON OXIDES
THERMAL INSULATION
CHALCOGENIDES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
360203* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Mechanical Properties