Military Composites

Products in defense applications are often exposed to harsh conditions, including extreme temperatures, strong chemicals, and high or low pressures. As such, defense products must meet strict standards to ensure their safety, reliability, and quality in demanding environments. Non-compliant products pose a risk of failure, which could have catastrophic damages.

Military Composites for Thermal Protection Systems (TPS)

Thermal protection systems (TPS) are applied to the external structures of vehicles or aircraft to maintain temperature control. These materials are selected due to their high-temperature stability and weight efficiency. Thermal protection systems limit heat conduction within spacecraft during atmospheric reentry and also protect airframes and systems from the freezing temperatures of deep space.

Common TPS materials include:

Stabilized Ablative Insulation Felt (SAIF)

This conformable TPS material features thermally resistant fibers and coatings for use on spacecraft exteriors. The ablative surface coating eliminates the need for painting, and the material can be customized to meet your particular insulative, density, and optical requirements. These materials come in tiles based on the dimensional requirements of each application.

Felt Reusable Surface Insulation (FRSI)

This low-temperature material is ideal for applications requiring insulation up to 600 °F. FRSI materials come in various thicknesses, each offering different performance levels relative to the expected thermal loads.

Strain Isolation Pads (SIP)

Strain isolation pads are situated between an aircraft’s TPS system and fuselage. They work to absorb the strain caused by varying levels of thermal expansion between the aircraft’s aluminum structure and TPS tiles.

Precursor Billets

Precursor Billets from Tex Tech Industries are made from rayon and oxidized polyacrylonitrile. These billets can be carbonized and infused with resin to create composite tiles. Depending on your needs, our precursor billets are available in thicknesses ranging from 1.5″ and 4″ with widths up to 90″.

Amorphous Silica Felt

We offer customized amorphous silica felt materials in three temperature grades to meet different application requirements: 900 °C, 1,100 °C, and 1,200 °C.

Military Composites: Types of Coatings

Our polymer coating technology capabilities are superior when paired with advanced processing and extensive textile knowledge. This allows us to deliver end-to-end custom solutions for our clients in the defense industry.

At Tex Tech, we offer a wide range of polymer coating material options, including:

  • Acrylic
  • Polyurethane
  • PVC
  • Rubber (natural, nitrile, chloroprene, EPDM, fluoroelastomer)
  • Silicone

We also provide coatings for the following textiles up to 100″ in width:

Our diverse variety of polymer coating systems rounds out our capabilities and offerings. These systems can apply several coats in one pass as well as perform surface enhancements upon request. We can apply aqueous, solvent, and 100% solid coatings using methods such as:

  • Adhesive lamination
  • Direct (knife over roll, knife over table, knife over air)
  • Heat lamination
  • Immersion (dip-coating)
  • Reverse roll coating
  • Transfer coating

We at Tex Tech are dedicated to quality and safety. To demonstrate this, we hold various industry certifications including:

  • IATF 16949 Quality Registration
  • ISO 14001 environmental
  • Zero-landfill status
  • Six Sigma Black Belt process and safety oversight
  • A2LA accreditation for mechanical testing

Durable Military Composites from Tex Tech Industries

Durable Military Composites from Tex Tech Industries
Durable Military Composites from Tex Tech Industries

If you require reliable military-grade composite materials for your application, Tex Tech Industries has the expertise and capabilities to manufacture a solution that meets your unique needs.

For more information about our military composite and coating capabilities, reach out to us today. You can also request a quote to get started on your custom military composite solution.