Oxidation Behavior of Aerospace Materials in High Enthalpy Flows Using an Oxyacetylene Torch Facility

The oxyacetylene torch facility is used to measure the ablation rates of graphite and the surface temperatures of different aerospace materials. The free-stream flame environment is characterized as a function of flame chemistry for heat flux, pO(2), and flow velocity. Measured ablation rates for graphite increase as a function of increasing heat flux and pO(2), which are validated by applying an oxygen diffusion based model. The model uses experimentally measured values for temperature, pO(2), and gas velocity in order to confirm torch testing results are reliable and reproducible. Surface temperatures of ultra-high temperature ceramic composites are measured as a function of increasing heat flux and show an enthalpic cooling effect on the flame during oxidation testing.