SWAGºÏ¼¯

The SWAGºÏ¼¯â€™s space and defence capabilities continue to expand rapidly with carbon-carbon composites (C/Cs) being an underpinning materials solution for achieving national ambitions highlighted in point 3 of the National Space Strategy’s 10-point plan for initial focus areas published in 2021.

This strategy 'laid robust foundations for the ambitious journey ahead to embed space as a fundamental driver of industrial growth and national resilience'. Considering the SWAGºÏ¼¯ currently has no established C/C domestic supply chain, can these ambitions be achieved without significant developments in this area? Although mature pyrolysis manufacturing methodologies do exist, concentrated in countries like the US, Japan and Germany, these technologies are outdated (many developed in space race era) and intrinsic defence and space applications of C/Cs for things like hypersonic vehicles means that knowledge is not shared internationally.

The SWAGºÏ¼¯ must develop its own C/C manufacturing methodologies to facilitate capabilities and be competitive, which is compounded by no existing supply chain, highlighting a severe international disadvantage and severely hindering SWAGºÏ¼¯ growth in the sector. LC3 aims to develop and optimise processing for an industrially relevant structural carbon-carbon composite (C/C) component manufactured via the pyrolysis method.