15 - Guest lectures
FROM HIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS TO HIGH-RATE PRODUCTION: OVERVIEW OF EXISTING RESEARCH EFFORTS AND OUTLOOK
M. Heitzmann, University of Queeensland, Australia
High-temperature composite materials, in their broadest definition, are critical enablers for high-speed flight. While ultra-high-temperature ceramic matrix composites are required for the most demanding and heat-exposed regions of flight vehicles, a much broader materials and manufacturing capability is needed. This includes lightweight polymer matrix composites, polymer-based ablative thermal protection systems, and material solutions for intermediate-temperature acreage surfaces.rnThe University of Queensland has been at the forefront of a national effort to develop a broad, sovereign capability in high-temperature composite materials and manufacturing. This decade-long journey began with the establishment of fundamental manufacturing capabilities and has since evolved into a significant research program encompassing major research infrastructure and the development of high-temperature material solutions for some of Australia's leading high-speed flight programs. The first part of this presentation will provide an overview of this journey and its key milestones, including the development and flight of Australian-manufactured composite hardware at speeds exceeding Mach 7.rnThe second part of the presentation will address one of the major barriers to the widespread adoption of high-temperature composites: manufacturing processes that are often lengthy, costly and difficult to scale. The ARC Industry Transformation Hub for Australian Mass Manufacturing of High-Temperature Composites is addressing this challenge by developing new approaches to high-rate manufacturing, including the adaptation of manufacturing concepts established in the automotive industry. These developments are coupled with an accelerated pathway towards integration into flight vehicles and representative assembly demonstrators, with the aim of transitioning high-temperature composites from specialised, low-rate materials towards scalable manufacturing solutions for future high-speed flight sy