Whiskers

Name:
Whiskers
Detailed information:
Single, axially oriented, crystalline filaments of metals (iron, cobalt, aluminum, tungsten, rhenium, nickel, etc.), refractory materials (sapphire, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide), carbon, boron, etc. They have tensile strengths of 3–6 million psi and very high elastic moduli. Their upper temperature limit in oxidizing atmospheres may be as high as 1700C and in inert atmospheres up to 2000C. Length may be up to two inches, with diameter up to 10 microns. Their chief use is in the manufacture of composite structures with plastics, glass, or graphite that have many applications in the aircraft and space vehicle field, where their high heat capacity and tremendous strength are invaluable, especially as ablative agents.