GLASS FIBER FOR SOLID-PROPELLANT ROCKET-MOTOR CASES

Continuous fibers were produced from glass with considerably higher tensile strength-to-weight ratios than were produced from metals. The availability of such fibers provided a large potential for the development of high strength-to-weight glass-reinforced plastics. In applications such as large rocket-motor cases, glass-reinforced plastics also may have a marked cost advantage over metals. Only mcderate improvements in the mcdulus of elasticity were obtained by modifications in glass compositions or in processing. Marked improvements in the constancy of the properties of glass-reinforced plastics were found to be possible. Rocket-motor cases made with fibers of Type E commercial glass are described. Improvements in strength and constancy of properties of this glass were possible by modified and improved manufacturing processes. The most effective additive to the glass to increase its modulus of elasticity, especially without a proportional increase in density, was beryllium oxide. (auth)