Plate is made of material having coefficient to thermal expansion similar to that of insulating material. Although plate may be formed from appropriate alloy, it has been found that a combination of graphite fibers in epoxy resin is satisfactory and much lighter in weight

Kural, M. H.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Flexible Bond 
Bond 
(Flexible or Hard) 
Thermal
Insulating
Tile 
Strain
Arrestor
Plate
March 1974	 B73-10465 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Strain Arrestor Plate for Mounting Rigid Insulating Tiles: A Concept. 
The problem: 
Metal structures used in extreme temperature envi-
ronments often require an insulating tile cover for 
protection. One commonly used insulating tile is silica 
which, in comparison with metals, is impermeable to 
heat, has a relatively low strength, and a low coefficient 
of thermal expansion. The problem with using silica 
tiles, lies with the bonding material, particularly for low-
temperature applications. Most bonding materials lose 
their flexibility at temperatures below the glass transi-
tion range, and begin to act as rigid connectors. Thus, 
stresses on the underlying metal are translated directly 
to the tile, which spalls and cracks.
The solution: 
A strain arrestor plate bonded between the insulating 
tile and the metal, using a silicone rubber compound 
developed for extreme temperatures, prevents the tiles 
from cracking. 
How it's done: 
In the new configuration, as shown in Figure 1, a 
strain arrestor plate is sandwiched between a structural 
member and a thermal insulation tile. The plate is 
attached to the structural member by a layer of 
flexible bonding agent, and the tile, in turn, is attached 
to the plate by a bonding layer which may be either 
flexible or hard. The configuration shown in Figure 1 is 
Member 
Figure 1. Thermal Insulation Protected by a Strain Arrestor Plate
(continued overleaf) 
This documentwas prepared under the sponsorship of the National	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730000465 2020-03-17T07:32:10+00:00Z
Thermal
Insulating
Tile
Displacement 
Under Stress
1^_ fl 
Flexible 
Bond 
Structure 
Figure 2. Thermal Insulation Under Load Stress L 
in a state of zero stress, while Figure 2 shows the same 
configuration under the influence of a compression 
load L. 
The strain arrestor plate is made of a material having 
a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the 
insulating material. Although the plate may be formed 
from an appropriate alloy, it has been found that a 
combination of graphite fibers in an epoxy resin is 
satisfactory and much lighter in weight. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Johnson Space Center 
Code AT3 
Houston, Texas 77058 
Reference: TSP73-10465
Patent status: 
This invention is owned by NASA, and a patent 
application has been filed. Inquiries concerning non-
exclusive or exclusive license for its commercial de-
velopment should be addressed to: 
Patent Counsel 
Johnson Space Center 
Code AM 
Houston, Texas 77058
Source: M. H. Kuralof
Lockheed Missiles and Space Co.
under contract to

Johnson Space Center
(MSC-14182)
. 
B73-l0465
	
Category 04,06


Strain arrestor plate for mounting rigid insulating tiles

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