Low Cost Domestic Source for Blended Carbon and Phenolic Felt Batting or Yarn

The need for advanced Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) technologies is emphasized in Objective 3.1 of NASA's 2022 Strategic Plan, which calls for innovations that reduce mission risk and cost while enabling new capabilities. These technologies are critical for NASA's science and exploration missions and for fostering growth in domestic industries through partnerships with academia, small businesses, and other government agencies. While existing Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials such as rigid Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) have supported missions like MSL, M2020, Stardust, and OSIRIS-REx, they are costly and time-intensive to manufacture and integrate. Even newer variants like Conformal PICA (C-PICA), though more cost-effective for lower heat flux environments, still require over a year from fabrication to integration. Emerging needs from NASA's Mars Exploration Program and commercial space companies highlight the demand for TPS materials with PICA-like performance that are low-cost, rapidly producible, and easy to integrate. These materials are essential for enabling frequent, cost-effective missions and rapid technology demonstrations. This subtopic area solicits innovative technology solutions applicable to both felted or needled TPS concepts as well as 3D-woven preforms fabricated from specially blended carbon and phenolic fibers. Specifically, NASA is interested in the companies with the ability to blend carbon fibers (of >95% carbon content) with phenolic fibers with ratios > 60% carbon, to create battings for the fabrication of large-scale aeroshells. Advances are sought in the ability to fabricate uniform batting of at least 36-inches wide with scale up to 100 x 100 inches and 1 2 inch to 12 inch thickness. Challenges include maintaining an intimate blend ratio to maintain consistent areal weight and composition while also controlling fiber fracture of carbon fibers. NASA is also interested in the ability to twist, and ply stretch broken fibers into a 4-ply blended yarn of varying carbon/phenolic/thermoset resin ratios (prefer phenolic or other nonbrittle fibers). Challenges include maintaining an intimate blend ratio to maintain consistent linear weight while also fabricating a high-quality yarn free from breaks, large yarn defects (ex. slubs and flames in the resin phase) and uniformity in diameter such that yarns are capable of being processed into 3D woven preforms for advanced Thermal Protection Systems.