Nanotechnologies for self-healing

ceramic materials for space applications

Franco Alberto Fossati – franco.fossati@thalesaleniaspace.com

Advanced projects – Transportation and entry systems

Turin - ITALY

All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space

 THE ISSUE

CERAMIC MATERIALS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE REALISATION OF

THERMAL PROTECTIONS/HOT STRUCTURES ABLE TO FACE THE HARSH
ENVIRONMENT TYPICAL OF AN ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY OR AN HYPERSONIC
FLIGHT.

CERAMICS ALTHOUGH ESSENTIAL HAVE A SERIOUS DRAWBACK INTO

THEIR INTRINSEIC LOW FRACTURE THOUGHNESS i.e. THE MINIMUM
CRITICAL CRACK IS OFTEN LOWER IN SIZE THAN ANY DETECTABLE FLAW,
THEREFORE THE MATERIAL QUALITY IS ACKNOWLEDGEABLE IN NO WAY.

THE APPLICATION OF A SELF-HEALING

CAPABILITY FOR ALL THE UNDETECTABLE FLAWS
(THEN FOR LOW DEFECT SIZE) WOULD LEAD TO THE
POSSIBILITY OF ASSURING THE QUALITY OF THIS
CLASS OF MATERIALS, ALLOWING THEIR SAFE USE

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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 SELF HEALING BASIC CONCEPT

• SENSING AND ACTUATION WITH NO HUMAN INTERVENTION

• MATERIAL SHOULD GAIN SOME FRACTION OF THE INITIAL

STRENGTH AFTER HEALING

• BONUS: SENSING AND ACTUATION ALSO PROVIDE MEANS FOR

DETECTION. (FINAL OBJECTIVE)

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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 AIMS OF TAS-I RESEARCH

Initial focus on:

1. How to introduce a self healing mechanism in structural materials?
2. How to quantify the effect of self healing in product performance?
3. How to model the self-healing mechanism?

The research requires a broad and multidisciplinary approach:

specialists in materials synthesis,material characterisation, material
testing, material modelling, product development and product testing are
to be brought together from the beginning of the research.

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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 THE SELF HEALING IN CERAMICS

1)Two-phases massive ceramics able to

promote viscous/vitreous phases i.e BN,
BN-SiC, B4C, SiC-B4C)
2)Nanostructured Grain Boundary Design :
sliding mechanism
3) Particellar reinforcements based on SiC or
MoSi2: self-healing by silicate phases
formation
4)Electrophoretic deposition of SiO2 particles
5) Glassy SiO2/B2O3 phase may flow along
the matrix cracks, created when the elastic
limit is exceeded during a mechanical
solicitation
6) Functionally graded thermal barrier coating
with sealant layer

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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 QUANTIFICATION OF SELF HEALING VS. PERFORMANCE

Mechanical testing
Microindentation Vickers
Morphological anaysis (SEM)
XRD, SEM-EDS analyis
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Correlation and identification of  K 
Dc   IC 
critical dimension defect by 8  F 

-HEALING PROVISIONS SO FAR EXPLOITED ARE LOWERING ABSOLUTE

PERFORMANCES, INTERGRANULAR MECHANISMS AND PHASE CHANGES
HAVE TO BE BETTER DRIVEN TO ENPHASISE THE BENEFITS LOWERING
DRAWBACKS.
-IN ORDER TO AVOID THAT HEALING PROVISIONS ARE A DEFECT
THEIRSELF, THEY MUST BE NANOSIZED.
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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 MODELLING

•OOF (Object Oriented Finite Element

Analysis)

•Digital Image Based Finite Element

Modelling (DIBFEM)

•ANSYS-Cares/Life

•Continuous Damage Mechanics (CDM)

Correlating micro-nano characteristic to macro behavior

Healing effects predictions
Healing effect efficacy

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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 THE FINAL VISION : THE ACTIVE SELF HEALING

In the field of self-healing materials there is potential for development of smart active healing and sensing
concepts.
The materials are designed in such a way that damage can be detected easily and, if action is required, the
damaged site can be repaired by exposing the component to an active repair mechanism.

Schematic external damaged surface

Sensors connected to system defect

location

Heating layer heats up the damaged

locations with feed-back from sensor layer

Temperature distribution for heating up

damaged areas

8 Schematic autorepaired surface

Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space
 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Franco Alberto Fossati – franco.fossati@thalesaleniaspace.com

THALES ALENIA SPACE ITALIA S.P.A.
Advanced projects – Transportation and entry systems
Tel.:+39.011.7180.400
Fax: +39.011.7180.228
Str. Antica di Collegno, 253 – 10146 Turin – ITALY

ALSO INTERESTED TO COLLABORATION FOR FP7 CALL

ON SENSING COATING FOR HARSH ENVIRONMENT!
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Italian Nanoindustry – Rusnanotech 08, 4 December 2008, Moscow
All rights reserved, 2008, Thales Alenia Space