Liquid rocket fuel tanks of Teflon save weight, resist low-vacuum outgassing

Citation

(2000), "Liquid rocket fuel tanks of Teflon save weight, resist low-vacuum outgassing", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772fab.013

Liquid rocket fuel tanks of Teflon save weight, resist low-vacuum outgassing

Liquid rocket fuel tanks of Teflon save weight, resist low-vacuum outgassing

Keywords: Holscot Industrial Linings, Fuels, Storage tanks

A UK company has pioneered a new type of fuel tank for liquid fuel rockets that relies on what it considers as the outstanding fluids and chemical resistance of Teflon FEP to achieve impermeable thin wall containment at minimum weight, in replacement of heavier systems using alloys such as titanium.

Described as a new market for the fluoropolymer, the novel fuel tanks are being used for satellite launch rockets and missile systems in Europe and the USA.

The new development won third prize for Holscot Industrial Linings Ltd of Grantham, England, in the Europe and Africa section of the "DuPont Plunkett Awards 2000 for Innovation with Teflon". This year's competition is the seventh of the DuPont Plunkett Awards programme established in 1988 in honour of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Teflon PTFE fluoropolymer resin by Dr Roy J. Plunkett, a DuPont scientist.

"We selected 100 percent Teflon because of its ability to contain aggressive liquid rocket fuels in a very light thin-wall membrane over extended periods, without permeation and outgassing in low vacuum", explains David Joyce, Holscot's managing director. "The development is expected to lead to wider use of liquid fuels in rockets, particularly in view of environmental issues restricting solid fuel systems". In addition, the company sees significant potential for the technology in other demanding applications, such as the aircraft and chemical processing industries and in high purity chemicals.

According to Joyce, most of the company's specialised fluoroplastic techniques were employed in producing the fuel tanks, including vacuum forming, welding, heat shrinking, and chemical etching, to allow bonding to carbon fibre, flexible elastomers or metals. In addition, the process is reportedly cost-effective since there is no need for high front end tooling charges.