Combat® Boron Nitride Solids
Hall Effect Thruster Insert Applications
Hall Effect Thrusters have used Boron Nitride Inserts for its combination of these properties:
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- Excellent thermal shock resistance
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For many years Borasil was the only choice. However, when Teledesic, SBIRS and other LEO systems came into consideration in the mid 90's, an alternate source of Boron Nitride was wanted.
Saint-Gobain Advanced Ceramics Boron Nitride (formerly Carborundum Corp.) manufactured BN/SiO2 composites many years prior to the Teledesic project. Known for excellent moisture resistance, thermal shock resistance, and machinability, Combat® Grades M and M26 have been fabricated into a wide variety of thruster inserts.
As the various thruster designers and manufacturers searched for different solutions, Saint-Gobain Combat® BN grades HP and AX05 were also successful.
It has been demonstrated that the sputter erosion resistance, secondary ion emission and gas absorption and outgassing are well within acceptable limits for every Combat grade: M, M26, HP, and AX05.
Saint-Gobain Advanced Ceramics has machined many complex inserts for thruster manufacturers in its Amherst, NY precision machine shop. Alternatively, many customers choose to buy blanks of these materials and do the machining themselves.
»Select the related link at right for more details on Combat® Boron Nitride Solids.