The Department of Defense, specifically the United States Air Force, is seeking proposals for the development of a fiber/filament capable of withstanding extreme combustion environments, specifically temperatures of 3000°F for at least one hour, as part of the SBIR program. The objective is to create a resultant fiber/filament that can be fabricated into rope seals, which are critical for high-performance hypersonic flight and propulsion systems, where existing materials fall short. Proposers are required to provide detailed reports on their approach, including previous experimental results, and must demonstrate the feasibility of their solutions through rigorous testing and documentation. The solicitation is set to open on May 28, 2025, with proposals due by June 25, 2025, and further details can be found at the provided source link.

## Description

 The topic will request that prospective proposers develop a fiber/filament/surface-treatment/coating final resultant fiber/filament capable of, whence fabricated into a rope seal, repeated extreme temperature (3000&deg;F) operations in high heat flux, oxidizing environments for at least 1 hour. Existing Air Force Flight and Propulsion systems extensively use rope seals most ubiquitously capable of high temperature 1000 to 1500 &deg;F environment applications. Unfortunately, none of the rope seals now available or being investigated for Air Force eventual use are capable of surviving exposure to the 3000&amp;gt;&deg;F propulsion environment anticipated to be experienced by Hypersonic systems for at a minimum of 1 hour. As per Dr Weber&rsquo;s and Dr Johnson&rsquo;s (both in OUSD(R&amp;E) DDRE Hypersonics and JHTO) May 2020 presentation, future Air Force Hypersonic Flight and Hypersonic Propulsion Systems will require repeated long operations times (hours), durable, resilient rope seals that can operate in high heat flux, oxidizing environments and restrict the flow of hot gases at extreme temperatures (3000&amp;gt;&deg;F) in static interfaces. Static seal locations include interfaces between leading edges and wings, integration of an aperture and interfaces between thermal protection system elements and engine components. As these rope seals are made out of fibers/filaments these resultant fibers/filaments must first meet these same requirements along with being able to be fabricated into rope seals. The proposer shall provide an exhaustively detailed report incorporating substantiating previous experimental results and detailed technical explanations as to why the new approach/material will accomplish the topic's performance objectives. The proposer will provide detail and documentation in the Direct to Phase II proposal which demonstrates accomplishment of a &ldquo;Phase I-like&rdquo; effort. This includes determining, insofar as possible, the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of ideas appearing to have commercial potential. It must have validated the product-market fit between the proposed solution and a potential AF stakeholder. The proposer shall produce a defined, clear and immediately actionable plan with the proposed solution and the AF customer. The proposer shall sufficiently develop the technical approach, product, or process in order to make a sufficient amount of the resultant fiber/filament and subsequent Rope Seals to conduct property change with exposure to hot combustion gases of temperatures of at least 3000&deg;+F for at least 1 hour testing. The proposer shall conduct sufficient tests on the exposed fiber/filament and rope seals fabricated from the material to determine rope seal relevant property changes capable of achieving the performance characteristics detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives. These tests will include but not be limited to but must include dimension changes, weight changes and mechanical property changes. The tests shall demonstrate that the fiber/filament material can achieve the performance characteristics detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives and be documented as such in a detailed stand alone report. The proposer shall deliver whence the proposed fiber/filament material has been fabricated into a testable rope seal form to a government acceptable Government test facility for independent performance characterization testing detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives paid for by the proposer. The tests shall substantiate that the new fiber/filament &ndash; rope seal can achieve the performance characteristics detailed in the topic objective and be documented as such in a detailed stand alone report. With the best test performing fiber/filament material the proposer shall fabricate a sufficient amount of the fiber/filament material and fabricate it into actual rope seals by making five circular cross section circular overall diameter O ring style rope seals. Identification of manufacturing/production issues and or business model modifications required to further improve product or process relevance to improved sustainment costs, availability, or safety, shall be documented. 

## Objective

The topic requests that prospective proposers develop and demonstrate either a new resultant fiber/filament, a surface treatment of a fiber/filament, a coating on said resultant fiber/filament, or whatever approach creates a resultant fiber/filament that is capable of surviving the following conditions:Exposure to hot combustion gases of temperatures of at least 3000&deg;+F without unacceptable property degradation.Exposure to the above hot gases for at least 1 hour without undue usable property degradation. Multiple exposures to the above hot gases for 1 hour durations without undue usable property degradation.The resulting fiber/filament must also meet the above requirements while also being capable of being fabricated into rope seals.

## Phase I

 The proposer shall provide an exhaustively detailed report incorporating substantiating previous experimental results and detailed technical explanations as to why their new approach/material will accomplish the topic's performance objectives. The proposer will describe and document previously conducted work which has demonstrated the successful creation of a demo prototype rope or pillow like seal made from either the 3000F fibers of topic interest or fibers capable of being exposed to high 2700+F OR has demonstrated production techniques with high 2700+F fibers which will be needed to successfully fabricate demo prototype rope or pillow seal made from the rather brittle 3000F type fibers. 

## Phase II

 The proposer shall sufficiently develop the technical approach, product, or process in order to make a sufficient amount of the resultant fiber/filament and subsequent Rope Seals to conduct property change with exposure to hot combustion gases of temperatures of at least 3000&deg;+F for at least 1 hour testing. The proposer shall conduct sufficient tests on the exposed fiber/filament and rope seals fabricated from the material to determine rope seal relevant property changes capable of achieving the performance characteristics detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives. These tests will include but not be limited to but must include dimension changes, weight changes and mechanical property changes. The tests shall demonstrate that the fiber/filament material can achieve the performance characteristics detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives and be documented as such in a detailed standalone report. The proposer shall deliver whence the proposed fiber/filament material has been fabricated into a testable rope seal form to a government acceptable Government test facility for independent performance characterization testing detailed in the topic&rsquo;s performance objectives paid for by the proposer. The tests shall substantiate that the new fiber/filament &ndash; rope seal can achieve the performance characteristics detailed in the topic objective and be documented as such in a detailed standalone report. With the best test performing fiber/filament material the proposer shall fabricate a sufficient amount of the fiber/filament material and fabricate it into actual rope seals by making five circular cross section circular overall diameter O ring style rope seals. Identification of manufacturing/production issues and or business model modifications required to further improve product or process relevance to improved sustainment costs, availability, or safety, shall be documented. 

## Phase III: Dual Use Applications

The contractor will pursue commercialization of the various technologies developed in Phase II for transitioning expanded mission capability to a broad range of potential government and civilian users and alternate mission applications. Direct access with end users and government customers will be provided with opportunities to receive Phase III awards for providing the government additional research &amp; development, or direct procurement of products and services developed in coordination with the program.

3000F Oxidizing Extreme Combustion Environment Fiber/Filaments And Rope Seals

SBIR Opportunity Analysis

SBIR Documents

Related SBIR/STTR Opportunities

Opportunity Snapshot

Key Dates