Harris Corporation

Robert F Monks

John Warner Shipley

Gary L Corey

A carbon-carbon mirror for high thermal input space applications is comprised of a plurality of thermally conductive, metallic layers formed as a laminate structure atop a carbon-carbon substrate. Within the laminate structure, a first thin adhesion layer of chromium is formed directly on the surface of a carbon-carbon substrate. Atop the adhesion layer, a plating base layer of gold or copper is deposited, followed by a thick working/smnoothing layer of nickel, which serves as the optically reflective surface of the mirror. The nickel layer is polished to a precision flatness or smoothness. Because the underlying gold and chromium layers possess high thermal conductivity, they enhance the transmission of heat from the cladding layer to the underlying carbon-carbon substrate, thereby preventing the laminate from absorbing heat, which would lead to delamination of the structure. In order to minimize thermally induced distortion of the mirror structure, the metal laminate build-up is preferably formed on opposite sides of the carbon-carbon substrate, thereby affording a thermal balancing of the substrate. However, the nickel layer on the non-reflective side of the mirror is not polished.

Growing community of inventors

Palm Bay, FL, United States of America

Robert F Monks