Development of New Thermal Protection Systems Based on
Polysiloxane/Silica Composites: Properties Characterization I
Kurt Schellhase1, Robert Brushaber1,2, Hao Wu1, Joseph H. Koo1*, Jarrod Buffy3, Chris Fish4,
and Eric Schmid5
1

The University of Texas at Austin, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 204 E. Dean Keeton St.,
C2200, Austin, TX 78712
2

Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc., 9063 Bee Caves Road, Austin, TX 78733
3Techneglas, 2100 North Wilkinson Way, Perrysburg, OH 43551

4

5

Dyna-Tek, LLC, 5300 East 59th Street, Kansas City, MO 64130

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Composites and Polymer Engineering (CAPE)
Laboratory, 501 E. Saint Joseph Street, Rapid City, SD 57701*Corresponding author: jkoo@mail.utexas.edu

ABSTRACTThis research focuses on the development of a family of new ablative nanocomposite materials
through a collaboration between The University of Texas at Austin, Techneglas, and Dyna-Tek.
The DT-1116 resin system, based on polysiloxane chemistry was evaluated for potential for use in
the next generation of thermal protection system (TPS) materials. TGA and microscale combustion
calorimetry (MCC) were used to examine the thermal stability and flammability properties ofpolysiloxane resin system. These thermal properties were compared with two state-of-the-art(SOTA) resins: SC-1008 phenolic and PT-15 cyanate ester resins. The DT-1116 polysiloxane resin
showed the highest char yield at 87%. The resin also showed the lowest heat release capacity(HRC) with 36 J/g-K. These data suggest that the polysiloxane resin has excellent properties forpotential use in ablative materials.

1. INTRODUCTION
Ablative materials are widely used in the aerospace and defense industry. This class of material
has unique properties, which allows them to resist the high heat flux environment experienced by
spacecraft and rocket motors. Some of the most advanced thermal protection systems, verticallaunching systems, and rocket motors contain ablative composites utilizing fiber reinforced SC1008 phenolic ablative systems.
While many ablatives in use today consist of SOTA resins, such as SC-1008 and PT-15, there is aneed for new ablative materials, which can withstand higher temperatures and heat fluxes. Better
ablatives allow for weight-savings and better performance for advanced propulsion systems andthermal protection systems for reentry vehicles. Atmospheric entry probes can encounter veryharsh reentry environments due to high speeds, such as the Galileo probe sent to Jupiter. It utilized
thick carbon/phenolic TPS [1,2]. A report by NASA Ames after the mission determined that futuremissions to the planet, especially ones utilizing multiple probes, would require a “new, robust, andefficient TPS” [2]. The most recent development in ablative TPS materials by NASA has been 3D
woven cyanate ester composites that act as both a compression pad and ablative heat shield for the
new Orion spacecraft [3]. Stronger TPS ablatives can also minimize the amount of material needed
to protect the primary structure of the rocket and involve less weight to the overall structure of thevehicle [2]. One resin system that is showing strong potential as a new TPS material is the DT1116 polysiloxane based resin system.
We have been investigating material properties of four neat resins: SC-1008 phenolic, PT-15
cyanate ester, and two different formulations of DT-1116 polysiloxane resin system: DT-1116-1
and DT-1116-2. Experiments were carried out to compare the char yield, thermal stability,
flammability, and kinetic parameters of each material. By analyzing the char yield of each material,
it allows us to focus on an important part of the TPS’s function, the creation of a protective charlayer as it undergoes pyrolysis. As surface of the TPS begins to thermally degrade and form a
porous char layer, it acts as a sacrificial layer, providing an extra layer of thermal insulation to the
TPS until higher temperatures allow it to undergo oxidization or be removed by external forcesfrom the hypersonic gas flow [4,5]. This char blocks heat and oxygen from reaching the virgin
TPS material, while regulating the release of the cooling pyrolysis gases [4]. This study focuseson the development and characterization of new ablative materials that can be equal or exceed
legacy materials utilizing SOTA resins. This study will evaluate the polysiloxane resin’s potential
for use as an ablative TPS material.

2. MATERIAL SYSTEMS
2.1 SC-1008 Phenolic Resin
SC-1008 is MIL-standard phenolic resole resin manufactured by Hexion [6]. It is the mostcommonly used resin for manufacturing ablative, such as carbon/phenolic (Cytec’s MX4926N
used for solid rocket motor nozzle), silica/phenolic (Cytec’s MX2600 used for solid and liquidrocket motor nozzles), and in PICA. This phenolic resole resin has a char yield of 56%.
2.2 PT-15 Cyanate Ester Resin
PT-15 is a low viscosity cyanate ester (CE) resin manufactured by Lonza [7]. It is a common resin
used for high-temperature application. This CE is very similar to the Tencate EX-1510 CE resin
used by Feldman et al. 3D woven multifunctional ablative TPS for Orion [3, 8]. This cyanate ester
resin has a char yield of 57%.
2.3 DT-1116 Polysiloxane Resin
DT-1116 is formulated using a proprietary (patent pending), inorganic matrix of a variety ofpolysiloxane chemistries. It is a resin system tailored to produce TPS laminates [9]. Dyna-Tek,
LLC is the manufacturer and recently introduced a series of ceramic matrices specifically designed
as a binders for composite material as flame shielding barriers. This system offers the uniquenessof a low temperature cure resin system that exhibits an extreme resistance to a high temperatureenvironment. It also possesses properties, such as low thermal transfer, excellent chemical
resistance, low to no smoke or toxic fumes when exposed to flame sources. These are fire, smoke,and toxicity (FST) characteristics that are desirable for fire resistant polymers. Two DT-1116-1

and DT-1116-2 resin systems are selected in this study have a char yield of 87% and 85%,
respectively.

3. CHARACTERIZAITON METHODS
3.1 Char Yield Definition
In a recent char yield study conducted by Koo et al. [10], conditions were developed for char yield
determination with standard test procedures based on the NASA PICA report [11]:Dry the TGA sample at 150oC for 30 min.
TGA sample size ~20mg.
TGA heating rate of 20oC/min in nitrogen.
Char yield is defined as the mass remaining at 1,000oC.

Several high-temperature commercially available resins have been examined in a comprehensive
char yield study using TGA, dTGA, and Td (decomposition temperature) [10]. The four resin
systems used in this study, such as SC 1008, PT-15, DT-1116-1 and DT-1116-2 are selected fromthis ongoing char study by Koo et al. [10].
3.2 Thermal Stability and Kinetic Parameters Study
3.2.1 Thermal Stability StudyTGA experiments were conducted using four heat ratings of 5, 10, 20, and 40oC/min under nitrogento examine the thermal stability of the four resin systems using a TA Instruments Hi-Res TGA
2950 Thermogravimetric Analyzer. These TGA data were used to determine kinetic parameters
using an isoconversion technique discussed in later section.
3.2.2 Kinetic Parameters and the Isoconversion Method
The rate of thermal decomposition of polymers can be modeled by the kinetic rate equation,
n

 w
1 dw
 E 

 Af   exp ,w0 dt
 RT 
 w0 

[1]

Where A is the pre-exponential factor, E is the activation energy, n is the order of reaction, andf(w/w0) is an arbitrary function of instantaneous weight fraction.
To predict the thermal response of a polymer, accurate values of these kinetic parameters over therange of decomposition are required in a thermal model. TGA is a common polymer
characterization technique to determine the thermal stability of a sample polymer by recording theweight change of the polymer as a function of increasing temperature or time at a constant rate.
The multiple heating rate technique provides the activation energy, pre-exponential factor, andorder of reaction over a wide a range of heating rates.
The isoconversion method is widely used to describe kinetics parameters [12]. The method can besummarized as follows. The rate of degradation is a function of temperature and solid conversion,
Xs,

dX s
n
 f T , X s   k  As  X s dt[2]

Where Xs is defined asXs 

w0  w
w0  w f[3]

As is the maximum weight loss attainable at each temperature (value has been taken as 1.0), and kis the kinetic constant, which corresponds to the Arrhenius equation:
 E 
k  A exp  RT 

[4]

A single-order reaction is used (n = 1), and the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall method [13] is considered, forobtaining the value of activation energy:E AE 
ln   ln   5.33  ln 1  X s   1.05
RT
 R 

[5]

Where β is heating rate. Plotting ln β as a function of 1/T, linear equations can be used to fit eachparametric value of Xs to obtain the values of activation energy and pre-exponential factor. These
kinetic parameters imply that the thermal decomposition of the polymer can be expressed by asimple kinetic equation with single effective values of A and E. By adjusting the order of reaction,
a separate set of kinetic parameters can be obtained, but when plotting log A as function of E, alinear curve fit can be observed using different values of n, which is result of the kinetic
compensation effect.
3.3 Microscale Combustion Calorimeter
Thermal combustion properties were measured using a Microscale Combustion Calorimeter(MCC2, Govmark, Inc.) according to ASTM D7309-2007 (Figure 1). MCC directly measures heatrelease parameters of small amounts of materials in the size of several milligrams. The heat release
rate during combustion and the total heat release are calculated by oxygen consumption rate andintegration of the heat release rate versus time, respectively. The combustor temperature was held
constant at 900°C, the pyrolyzer was heated from 100°C to 750°C and the heating rate of thesample in the pyrolysis zone was 1°C/sec. Each formulation was tested for 3 repetitions to calculate
error bars.

Figure 1. Illustration of Microscale Combustion Calorimeter [14].

4. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.1 Char Yield Results
The “char yield” was measured using a TA Instruments Hi-Res TGA 2950 ThermogravimetricAnalyzer with a material sample size of 20 mg. The samples were dried using an isothermal(constant temperature) at 162.7ºC (325ºF) for 30 minutes in nitrogen. Then a heating rate of
20ºC/min from 162.7ºC to 1000ºC in nitrogen was applied. The initial weight (100% weight) was
taken after the 30 minute drying. The char yield is defined as the weight % at 1,000ºC.
The char yield studies were performed on neat resin samples of SC-1008, PT-15, DT1116-1, andDT1116-2. Figure 2 shows the results of the char yield studies. The table in the figure shows thedecomposition temperature (Td) at 10% mass loss and the char yield at 1,000ºC. The following are
the char yield results: SC-1008 = 56.21%, PT-15 = 56.85%, DT-1116-1 = 86.48%, and DT-11162 = 84.68%. Figure 3 shows the derivative of the TGA data, dTGA (%/ºC), for the four neat resins.
The temperature of the peaks of the dTGA, Td at 10% mass loss, and % weight at 1,000ºC are
noted on the graphs.
From the Figure 3 of the dTGA result, SC-1008 shows three distinct reactions occur at 410, 497,
and 655oC, this resin system exhibits 3 transitions that are reported for phenolic resins [14]. PT15 shows only one reaction occurs at 511oC, suggesting a uniform decomposition for this resin
system. DT-1116-1 shows two distinct reactions occur at 722 and 873oC. DT-1116-2 shows four
distinct reactions occur at 496, 532, 627, and 725oC. It was verified with the manufacturer that
there are several fillers in this resin systems. The DT-1116-1 resin also has the highest Td at 10%
mass loss (765oC) amongst these four resin systems As a result, the DT-1116-1 resin is the ideal
candidate to be selected for further studies.

Figure 2. Char yield results for SC-1008, PT-15, DT1116-1, and DT1116-2.

Figure 3. dTGA (%/ºC) data for SC-1008, PT-15, DT1116-1 (*), and DT1116-2 (#).

4.2 Thermal Stability and Kinetic Parameter Results
The thermal stability studies were performed on neat resin samples of SC-1008, PT-15, DT11161, and DT1116-2. Figures 4 to 7 show the neat resins with the four heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and40 ºC/min.
From Figure 4, it is observed in general the residual mass of SC-1008 decreases from 61% to 57%
as the heating rate increases; while the Td of 10% mass loss increases from 416 to 557oC. From
Figure 5, it is observed the residual mass of PT-15 decreases from 61% to 55% as the heating rateincreases; while the Td of 10% mass loss increases from 474 to 550oC. From Figure 6, it is observed
the residual mass of DT-1116-1 stays relatively stable at 5, 10, and 20oC/min at 86% and increases
slightly to 90% at 40oC/min. This phenomenon is very unusual. The Td of 10% mass loss increases
from 690o (at 1,000oC) to 990oC (at 990oC), an increase of 300oC! Further study is warranted tounderstand this unusual behavior. From Figure 7, it is observed the residual mass of DT-1116-2
stays relatively stable about 85 to 86% at the four heating rates; while the Td of 10% mass loss
increases from 688o to 781oC, an increase of about 100oC.
The Td of 10% mass loss and weight percent at 1,000ºC for the four heating ratings are shown intables in Figures 4 to 7 of each resin system. Table 1 shows a comparison of the Td of 10% massloss (ºC). Table 2 shows a comparison of the weight % at 1,000ºC at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and40ºC/min.
From the above analyses, DT-1116 resin shows an unusual behavior of increasing in residual massas the heating rate increases from 5 to 40oC/min while the SC-1008 and PT-15 show the opposite
trend. The Td at 10% mass loss of DT 1116-1 shows an increase of 300oC. Again, the DT-1116-1
resin is the ideal candidate to be selected for further studies.

Figure 4. SC-1008 phenolic resin at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

Figure 5. PT-15 cyanate ester resin at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

Figure 6. DT-1116-1 polysiloxane resin at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

Figure 7. DT-1116-2 polysiloxane resin at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

Table 1. Decomposition temperature (Td) of 10% mass loss temperature at heating rates of 5,
10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

Table 2. Weight % at 1,000ºC at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 40ºC/min.

4.3 Flammability Properties
Flammability properties are characterized by MCC tests. MCC, developed by FAA, is a small
sample test which measures the heat release rate of milligram sized samples. It is a convenient tool
to screen material’s flammability properties [14].
The typical MCC heat release curves of the four resins are plotted in Figure 8. DT1116-1 andDT1116-2 have very similar heat release behaviors, both sample have PHRR at around 630°C andtheir HRR curves show good agreement with each other throughout the entire heating range.
Judged by the trend of the heat release curves of DT1116-1 and DT1116-2 at 750°C, there may be
another heat release peak above 750°C. More investigation in the future is needed to confirm thisobservation. PT15 has one major HRR peak at 455.9°C. The PHRR of PT15 is significantly higher
than the other 3 resins indicating its relatively poor flame resistant properties. SC1008 have three
distinct HR peaks, the overall HRR values are also higher than that of DT1116-1 and DT1116-2.
Calculated from MCC data, heat release capacity (HRC) is an intrinsic material property
independent of heating rate and sample size [15]. The HRC comparison of the four resin systems
are shown in Figure 9. DT1116-1 and DT1116-2 have identical HRC of 36 J/g-K. On the other
hand, because of the high PHRR of PT15, a much higher HRC of 159.3J/g-K is not surprising.
SC1008 has HRC of 53.3J/g-K which is 48% higher HRC than that of DT1116-1 and DT1116-2.

Figure 8. Typical heat release curves for the four resin systems.

Figure 9. Comparison of the Heat Release Capacities for the four resin systems.

5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
5.1 Summary
The polysiloxane based resin system has shown superior char yield, thermal stability, andflammability properties. The char yield study showed that DT-1116 polysiloxane resins possessed
the highest char yield. DT-1116-1 exhibited the best results with 87% char yield. An increase of
54% in char yield was determined as compared to the phenolic resin and the cyanate ester resin.
The study also revealed that as the heating rates were increased, the DT-1116-1 produced higher
residual masses, whereas the other three resins resulted in lower residual masses. The DT-1116-1
also showed better thermal stability and char yield than the DT-1116-2, with the dTGA revealing
a number of additional reactions occurring at lower temperatures in the DT-1116-2 resin. However,
the heat release curve for both DT-1116 resins were nearly identical with a HRC of 36 J/g-K. SC1008 phenolic’s HRC was 48% higher at 53.31 g-K and PT-15 cyanate ester’s HRC was 443%
higher at 159.33 g-K. Due to the multiple stage degradation and the high residual mass of thepolysiloxane resins, the activation energy could not be accurately determined with the current
models. A better model is needed. The DT-1116-1 resin is selected to further study.
5.2 Future Studies
Because ablative materials are typically fiber-reinforced composites, the new resin system will be
used to impregnate fibers to create ablative test samples. Silica fabric will be used to create DT1116/silica composites. Experiments will be conducted to determine the optimal ratio of resin:fiber for ablation resistance. It is also planned to investigate the creation of nanocomposite
ablatives by incorporating different amounts of nano-silica into the DT-1116. These candidate
materials then can be evaluated in an oxy-acetylene test bed (OTB) at a high heat flux (1,000
W/cm2) of a specified test duration to simulate a re-entry environment. Advanced diagnostics, suchas two-color IR pyrometer, in-depth thermocouples, high definition video camera, and IR video
camera will be setup for each ablation testing experiment to analyze the thermal and ablation
performance. The investigation of the activation energy using a model which can account for its
high char yield and multiple stage of polymer decomposition is being considered.

6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Dyna-Tek and Techneglas for sponsoring this R&D project.

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