ABSTRACT
A comprehensive review was conducted on the research and development (R&D) of polymer nanocomposites used as thermal protection systems for re-entry vehicles and as nozzle and internal insulation materials for propulsion systems. This chapter summarizes the significant R&D efforts on the studies of nanostructured ablative materials by scientists from China, India, Italy, Iran, and the US for the past decade. On the basis of the DTA results, PPO+S and PPO+C presented the best behavior for ablative materials, since they showed a more endothermic decomposition in comparison in the same temperature range of the neat polymer. The introduction of inorganic nanomaterials as additives into polymer matrix systems has resulted in polymer nanocomposites exhibiting multifunctional, high-performance polymer characteristics beyond what traditional polymer composites possess. The chapter reviews the open literature on how researchers processed, characterized, and tested their polymer nanocomposites as thermal protection materials for low and high energy hyperthermal environments.
