# US 10,308,789 B2 · High efficiency erosion resistant silicone ablator composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,789 B2 - Document ID: US10308789B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/254,787 - Filed: 2016-09-01 - Published: 2016-12-22 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-27 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Kelly Jonathan Courter; Patrick Jacob Mobers; Bryan Brewer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308789B2 ## CPC - C08K 7/26: Silicon- containing compounds - B29B 7/90: Fillers or reinforcements {, e.g. fibres} - B29C 48/022: {characterised by the choice of material} - B64G 1/58: Thermal protection, e.g. heat shields - B64G 1/62: Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices - C08J 3/203: {Solid polymers with solid and/or liquid additives} - C08K 3/32: Phosphorus-containing compounds - C08K 3/38: Boron-containing compounds - C08K 7/28: Glass - C09D 183/04: Polysiloxanes - B29K 2083/00: Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material - B29K 2105/16: Fillers - B29L 2031/3076: {Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08)} - C08J 2383/04: Polysiloxanes - C08K 2003/322: {Ammonium phosphate} - C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09) - B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A lightweight ablator formulation has been developed which offers superior thermal performance compared to current state of the art ablator formulations. The lightweight ablator formulations described herein typically include at least one endothermically decomposing (energy absorbing) material with a fluxing agent resulting in significantly reduced backface temperature response and a more stable surface. According to one implementation the ablator composition comprises about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin, about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler, about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent and greater than 0 and up to about 10 percent by weight of a boron-containing compound. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ablator composition for providing ablation protection after cure thereof, comprising: about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin; about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler material having a bulk density between approximately 0.1 g/cc and 0.50 g/cc; about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent; 3.42 to about 5 percent by weight of boric acid and/or salts thereof; and 3 to about 5 percent by weight of ammonium phosphate dibasic, wherein a density of an ablator material formed by curing the ablator composition ranges between at least 0.3 and about 0.6 g/cc. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, further comprising: greater than 0 and up to about 20 percent by weight of a thinning fluid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, wherein the low-density filler material comprises silica microballoons. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, wherein the tensile strength of the ablator material formed by curing the ablator composition is greater than about 689 kPa up to about 2068 kPa. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, further comprising a honeycomb core, wherein the honeycomb core provides increased surface area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, further comprising a woven material, wherein the woven material provides increased surface area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, further comprising a non-woven material, wherein the non-woven material provides increased surface area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, further comprising: about 2 to about 8 percent by weight of silicon carbide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ablator composition of claim 1, comprising from 3.42 to about 5 percent by weight of the ammonium phosphate dibasic. ### Claim 10 A method of forming an ablative structure, the method comprising: (a) forming an ablator composition by mixing: about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin; about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler material having a bulk density between approximately 0.1 g/cc and 0.50 g/cc; about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent; 3.42 to about 5 percent by weight of boric acid and/or salts thereof; and 3 to about 5 percent by weight of ammonium phosphate dibasic; (b) forming the ablator composition into a geometrical shape; and (c) curing the geometrical shape, wherein a density of an ablator material formed by curing the geometrical shape ranges between at least 0.3 and about 0.6 g/cc. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: greater than 0 and up to about 20 percent by weight of a thinning fluid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein forming the ablator composition into a geometrical shape comprises at least one of the following: die molding of the ablator composition, extrusion of the ablator composition, manual application of the ablator composition, and spraying the ablator composition onto a surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising applying a coupling agent to the surface prior to spraying to enhance bonding between the ablator composition and the surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising scoring the ablative structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein forming the ablator composition further comprises mixing about 2 to about 8 percent by weight of silicon carbide. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the low-density filler material comprises silica microballoons. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the ammonium phosphate dibasic is from 3.42 to about 5 percent. ### Claim 18 A method of mixing a low-density ablator composition, the method comprising: (a) placing from about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin into a container; (b) mixing from about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent with the base silicone resin; (c) mixing from 3.42 to about 5 percent by weight of boric acid and/or salts thereof and from 3 to about 5 percent by weight of ammonium phosphate dibasic with the resulting mixture of (b); and (d) mixing approximately 25-67 percent by weight of a low-density filler material having a bulk density between approximately 0.1 g/cc and 0.50 g/cc with the resulting mixture of (c), wherein a density of an ablator material formed by curing the low-density ablator composition ranges between at least 0.3 and about 0.6 g/cc. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein (c) further comprises mixing about 2 to about 8 percent by weight of silicon carbide with the resulting mixture of (b). ### Claim 20 An ablator composition for providing ablation protection after cure thereof, comprising: about 30 to about 70 percent by weight of a base silicone resin; about 25 to about 67 percent by weight of a low-density filler material having a bulk density between approximately 0.1 g/cc and 0.50 g/cc; about 3 to about 7 percent by weight of a curing agent; 3 to about 5 percent by weight of boric acid and/or salts thereof; and 3.42 to about 5 percent by weight of ammonium phosphate dibasic, wherein a density of an ablator material formed by curing the ablator composition ranges between at least 0.3 and about 0.6 g/cc.