Tungsten Copper Throat Insert Helps Chinese Private Rockets Lift Off?

A few days ago, the Chinese private rocket, the "hyperbolic Z" rocket, was the first sub-orbital test. This is not the first time launch a space launch. In the earlier, another private company also successfully conducted a sounding rocket test, the first private commercial rocket in China. However, what do you know about tungsten copper throat inserts while knowing these messages? Whether the tungsten copper throat inserts help Chinese private rockets lift off?

We all know that the working environment of the rocket is very bad, especially the nozzle throat of the solid rocket engine. As a rocket fan, you may know that the solid rocket engine refers to a chemical rocket engine that uses solid propellant, which is also known as a solid propellant rocket engine. You may also know that there are many solid propellants, such as polyurethane, polybutadiene and so on. But do you know what is the tungsten copper throat insert?

Tungsten copper throat insert is the lining material of the nozzle of the solid rocket engine nozzle. It is made of tungsten copper composite material, which is a self-sweating cooling throat lining material. It meets the requirements of the throat insert. Which with resistant to high temperature, corrosion and wear, high hardness, light weight, ablation resistance, thermal mechanical shock resistance and so on.

According to statistics, between 65 and 75 percent of the rocket's thrust is accelerated by the throat of the nozzle to the speed of sound. This shows the importance of the throat insert to the rocket as a whole. However, the working environment of the nozzle throat is very bad. The temperature rise at the moment of ignition is about two thousand degrees Celsius per second, and the working temperature is also very high, usually about three thousand degrees Celsius. Therefore, the throat insert has a high requirement for the high temperature strength of its material. At a temperature of three thousand degrees Celsius or higher, the copper contained in the two-phase structure of the tungsten copper composite will vaporize and absorb a large amount of heat, so that the temperature of the surface of the throat insert is significantly reduced, so that it can meet the high temperature environment of the rocket.

That is to say, the tungsten copper composite material utilizes the sweating and cooling effect of copper volatilization at a high temperature, which can lower the surface temperature of the tungsten copper and ensure its use under high temperature extreme conditions. Tungsten copper materials can be used not only on the throat of solid rocket motors, but also on missile or rocket engine components such as gas rudders, air rudders, nose cones, guards and fasteners. At the same time, tungsten copper composite materials also used in vacuum switchgear and electronic packaging of its excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and high temperature resistance.

Do you want to know what is the tungsten copper composite material?

Tungsten copper composites is referred to as "pseudo-alloys", which is the composites of tungsten and copper, it does not solidify or form intermetallic compounds. The weak interaction between tungsten and copper makes them compatible with the advantages of tungsten and copper after compounding. With the properties of high melting point, arc corrosion resistance, fusion resistance and corrosion resistance of tungsten and excellent electrical conductivity of copper. It can be used as a heat dissipating component in large-scale integrated circuits and microwave devices, which can effectively extend the service life of electronic components.

It is not known whether the tungsten copper throat insert will help the Chinese private rockets to rise. Because the material of the solid rocket motor nozzle throat lining is not only include tungsten copper material, also include graphite, SiC ceramic, carbon fiber, phenolic resin, C/C composite and other refractory metals such as tungsten alloy. Finally, the Rockets fans, do you know which one is best suited to "fly" with the missile?

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