Cytec's composite materials aid supersonic car

Materials supplied by Cytec Fiberite contributed to the success of the Thrust SuperSonic Car (SSC), becoming the first vehicle to break the sound barrier on land at 766.109 mph. Richard Noble, who headed the Thrust team, drove the British car that achieved this incredible feat in the Black Rock desert in Nevada.

The company supplied the carbon and glass fiber materials which are concentrated around the forward position of the engine nacelles, the nose cone, the air inlet structures and the cockpit canopy. The materials were chosen, in most instances, for their lightweight, stiffness and strength. The forward engine nacelles are made from the company's high-performance epoxy graphite composite material which consisted of graphite fabric prepreg surrounding a honeycomb core bonded with Cytec Fiberite's FM-87-1 HT epoxy film adhesive.

The engines in the Thrust SSC are 2 Phantom jet engines. The engine inlet ducts direct the air flow over the front wheels into the engine. Each engine inlet duct is aproximately 2 meters long by 1 meter in diameter. They are made with Cytec Fiberite's CYCOM 753 graphite epoxy in a solid monolithic construction. Due to the severe stresses these components encounter, they were constructed in one piece, thereby eliminated any potential "seams" or lines of weakness that would exist if multiple parts were used and joined together to construct the inlet ducts.

The inner surface of the shaped composite tube had to be extremely smooth to avoid any impediments, like dust particles, to the air flow. The intricately shaped tube required a low cure temperature composite (140°F / 60°C) that CYCOM 753 graphite fiber provided along with the required high mechanical performance.

The material also is used in the construction on the cockpit canopy where high toughness is required. For the nose cone, where the length of the structure coupled with a need to minimize weight and maximize stiffness, Cytec Fiberite's graphite fiber composite met the design requirements. This is also a one-piece construction to meet the anticipated stresses.

The advanced composite materials by Cytec were selected for the Thrust SSC because of their high performance and excellent track record. These composite materials are also used in the aerospace industry.

-J. Walsh

For more information, contact Cytec Industries Inc., Five Garret Mountain Plaza, West Paterson, NJ 07424. 201-357-3100.
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