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Idea Man

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Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft is a memoir by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen , published in 2011 by Portfolio, a Penguin Group imprint. A New York Times Best Seller , the book recounts how Allen became enamored with computers at an early age, conceived the idea for Microsoft, recruited his friend Bill Gates to join him, and launched what would become the world's most successful software company.

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97-713: The book, reveals the often conflicted partnership between Allen and Gates, and how—when Allen was recovering from cancer—Gates unsuccessfully conspired to dilute Allen's 36 percent share of Microsoft. Idea Man also explores Allen's business and creative ventures following his 1983 departure from Microsoft, including his involvement in SpaceShipOne , his purchase of the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks , his passion for music, and his ongoing support for scientific research. The Guardian : “There's an important lesson here that has subsequently been airbrushed out of

194-440: A copolymer with polyfunctional curatives or hardeners . This curing is what produces the qualities of the substance such as resistance, durability, versatility, and adhesion. In principle, any molecule containing a reactive hydrogen may react with the epoxide groups of the epoxy resin. Common classes of hardeners for epoxy resins include amines, acids, acid anhydrides, phenols, alcohols and thiols. Relative reactivity (lowest first)

291-456: A calculated amount of bisphenol A and then a catalyst is added and the reaction heated to circa 160 °C (320 °F). This process is known as "advancement". As the molecular weight of the resin increases, the epoxide content reduces and the material behaves more and more like a thermoplastic . Very high molecular weight polycondensates (ca. 30,000–70,000 g/mol) form a class known as phenoxy resins and contain virtually no epoxide groups (since

388-418: A catalyst. The resulting material has ether linkages and displays higher chemical and oxidation resistance than typically obtained by curing with amines or anhydrides. Since many novolacs are solids, this class of hardeners is often employed for powder coatings . Also known as mercaptans, thiols contain a sulfur which reacts very readily with the epoxide group, even at ambient or sub-ambient temperatures. While

485-578: A cured network. This process is known as catalytic homopolymerisation. The resulting network contains only ether bridges, and exhibits high thermal and chemical resistance, but is brittle and often requires elevated temperature for the curing process, so finds only niche applications industrially. Epoxy homopolymerisation is often used when there is a requirement for UV curing, since cationic UV catalysts may be employed (e.g. for UV coatings ). Polyfunctional primary amines form an important class of epoxy hardeners. Primary amines undergo an addition reaction with

582-402: A hydroxy group, also the nitrogen atom of an amine or amide can be reacted with epichlorohydrin. The other production route for epoxy resins is the conversion of aliphatic or cycloaliphatic alkenes with peracids : In contrast to glycidyl-based epoxy resins, this production of such epoxy monomers does not require an acidic hydrogen atom but an aliphatic double bond. The epoxide group

679-442: A landing in about 20 minutes. White Knight takes longer to descend, and typically lands a few minutes after SpaceShipOne. Data from astronautix.com General characteristics Performance SpaceShipOne was developed by Mojave Aerospace Ventures (a joint venture between Paul Allen and Scaled Composites , Burt Rutan 's aviation company, in their Tier One program), without government funding. On June 21, 2004, it made

776-424: A large extent as secondary plasticizers and cost stabilizers for PVC . Aliphatic glycidyl epoxy resins of low molar mass (mono-, bi- or polyfunctional) are formed by the reaction of epichlorohydrin with aliphatic alcohols or polyols (glycidyl ethers are formed) or with aliphatic carboxylic acids (glycidyl esters are formed). The reaction is carried out in the presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide, analogous to

873-399: A lesser extent, monoanhydrides, non-stoichiometric, empirical determinations are often used to optimize dosing levels. In some cases, blends of dianhydrides and monoanhydrides can improve metering and mixing with liquid epoxy resins. Polyphenols, such as bisphenol A or novolacs can react with epoxy resins at elevated temperatures (130–180 °C, 266–356 °F), normally in the presence of

970-911: A low surface tension, it is added as a wetting agent (surfactant) for contact with glass fibres. Its reactivity to hardeners is comparable to that of bisphenol A. When cured, the epoxy resin leads to a thermosetting plastic with high chemical resistance and low water absorption. However, the commercial use of fluorinated epoxy resins is limited by their high cost and low T g . Epoxy resins diluents are typically formed by glycidylation of aliphatic alcohols or polyols and also aromatic alcohols. The resulting materials may be monofunctional (e.g. dodecanol glycidyl ether), difunctional ( 1,4-Butanediol diglycidyl ether ), or higher functionality (e.g. trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether ). These resins typically display low viscosity at room temperature (10–200 mPa.s) and are often referred to as reactive diluents. They are rarely used alone, but are rather employed to modify (reduce)

1067-414: A lower electron density than aromatics, cycloaliphatic epoxies react less readily with nucleophiles than bisphenol A-based epoxy resins (which have aromatic ether groups). This means that conventional nucleophilic hardeners such as amines are hardly suitable for crosslinking. Cycloaliphatic epoxides are therefore usually homopolymerized thermally or UV-initiated in an electrophilic or cationic reaction. Due to

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1164-610: A network with incomplete polymerisation, and thus reduced mechanical, chemical and heat resistance. Cure temperature should typically attain the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the fully cured network in order to achieve maximum properties. Temperature is sometimes increased in a step-wise fashion to control the rate of curing and prevent excessive heat build-up from the exothermic reaction. Hardeners which show only low or limited reactivity at ambient temperature, but which react with epoxy resins at elevated temperature are referred to as latent hardeners . When using latent hardeners,

1261-494: A nose skid. These are deployed using springs, assisted by gravity. Once deployed, they cannot be retracted inflight. The spacecraft is incapable of independent takeoff from the ground. It requires a launch aircraft to carry it to launch altitude for an air launch . The parts of the craft that experience the greatest heating, such as the leading edges of the wings, have about 6.5 kg (14 lb) of ablative thermal protection material applied. The main ingredient of this material

1358-526: A stable glide. (Although this is an interesting comparison of behavior, it is not an entirely fair comparison of design concepts: the Shuttle starts reentry at much higher speed than SpaceShipOne, and so has some very different requirements. SpaceShipOne is more similar to the X-15 vehicle.) An early design called for a permanently shuttlecock-like shape, with a ring of feather -like stabilising fins. This would have made

1455-566: A variety of ways, including reacting with fatty acids derived from oils to yield epoxy esters, which were cured the same way as alkyds. Typical ones were L8 (80% linseed) and D4 (40% dehydrated castor oil). These were often reacted with styrene to make styrenated epoxy esters, used as primers. Curing with phenolics to make drum linings, curing esters with amine resins and pre-curing epoxies with amino resins to make resistant top coats. Organic chains maybe used to hydrophobically modify epoxy resins and change their properties. The effect of chain length of

1552-511: A view of the horizon at all stages of flight. The windows are small compared to the gaps between them, but there are sufficiently many for human occupants to patch together a moderately good view. The nose section can be removed, and there is also a hatch below the rear windows on the left side. Crew ingress and egress is possible by either route. The core of the spacecraft avionics is the System Navigation Unit ( SNU ). Together with

1649-581: A wide range of applications, including metal coatings , composites, use in electronics, electrical components (e.g. for chips on board ), LEDs, high-tension electrical insulators , paintbrush manufacturing, fiber-reinforced plastic materials, and adhesives for structural and other purposes. The health risks associated with exposure to epoxy resin compounds include contact dermatitis and allergic reactions, as well as respiratory problems from breathing vapor and sanding dust, especially from compounds not fully cured. Condensation of epoxides and amines

1746-494: A wide range of co-reactants including polyfunctional amines, acids (and acid anhydrides ), phenols, alcohols and thiols (sometimes called mercaptans). These co-reactants are often referred to as hardeners or curatives, and the cross-linking reaction is commonly referred to as curing . Reaction of polyepoxides with themselves or with polyfunctional hardeners forms a thermosetting polymer , often with favorable mechanical properties and high thermal and chemical resistance. Epoxy has

1843-542: Is a common phenomenon for epoxy materials and is often of concern in art and conservation applications. Epoxy resins yellow with time, even when not exposed to UV radiation. Significant advances in understanding yellowing of epoxies were achieved by Down first in 1984 (natural dark aging) and later in 1986 (high-intensity light aging). Down investigated various room-temperature-cure epoxy resin adhesives suitable for use in glass conservation, testing their tendency to yellow. A fundamental molecular understanding of epoxy yellowing

1940-421: Is a highly effective and widely used accelerator, but is now increasingly replaced due to health concerns with this substance. The most widely used accelerator is 2,4,6-Tris(dimethylaminomethyl)phenol . Epoxy resin may be reacted with itself in the presence of an anionic catalyst (a Lewis base such as tertiary amines or imidazoles) or a cationic catalyst (a Lewis acid such as a boron trifluoride complex) to form

2037-806: Is a key technology used for toughening. Two part epoxy coatings were developed for heavy duty service on metal substrates and use less energy than heat-cured powder coatings . These systems provide a tough, protective coating with excellent hardness. One part epoxy coatings are formulated as an emulsion in water, and can be cleaned up without solvents. Epoxy coatings are often used in industrial and automotive applications since they are more heat resistant than latex-based and alkyd-based paints. Epoxy paints tend to deteriorate, known as "chalking out", due to UV exposure. Epoxy coatings have also been used in drinking water applications. Epoxy coatings find much use to protect mild and other steels due to their excellent protective properties. Change in color, known as yellowing,

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2134-489: Is also sometimes referred to as an oxirane group. The most common epoxy resins are based on reacting epichlorohydrin (ECH) with bisphenol A ,  resulting in a different chemical substance known as bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (commonly known as BADGE or DGEBA). Bisphenol A-based resins are the most widely commercialised resins but also other bisphenols are analogously reacted with epichlorohydrin, for example Bisphenol F . In this two-stage reaction, epichlorohydrin

2231-409: Is an experimental air-launched rocket-powered aircraft with sub-orbital spaceflight capability at speeds of up to 3,000 ft/s (2,000 mph) / 910 m/s (3,300 km/h) using a hybrid rocket motor. The design features a unique " feathering " atmospheric reentry system where the rear half of the wing and the twin tail booms folds 70 degrees upward along a hinge running the length of

2328-406: Is approximately in the order: phenol < anhydride < aromatic amine < cycloaliphatic amine < aliphatic amine < thiol. While some epoxy resin/ hardener combinations will cure at ambient temperature, many require heat, with temperatures up to 150 °C (302 °F) being common, and up to 200 °C (392 °F) for some specialist systems. Insufficient heat during cure will result in

2425-453: Is called prepolymerization: A product comprising a few repeat units ( n = 1 to 2) is a viscous, clear liquid; this is called a liquid epoxy resin. A product comprising more repeating units ( n = 2 to 30) is at room temperature a colourless solid, which is correspondingly referred to as solid epoxy resin. Instead of bisphenol A, other bisphenols (especially bisphenol F ) or brominated bisphenols (e. g. tetrabromobisphenol A ) can be used for

2522-573: Is common to achieve the desired processing or final properties, or to reduce cost. Use of blending, additives and fillers is often referred to as formulating . All quantities of mix generate their own heat because the reaction is exothermic. Large quantities will generate more heat and thus greatly increase the rate of the reaction and so reduce working time (pot-life). So it is good practice to mix smaller amounts which can be used quickly to avoid waste and to be safer. There are various methods of toughening them, as they can be brittle. Rubber toughening

2619-406: Is connected to the epoxide group content. This is expressed as the " epoxide equivalent weight ", which is the ratio between the molecular weight of the monomer and the number of epoxide groups. This parameter is used to calculate the mass of co-reactant (hardener) to use when curing epoxy resins. Epoxies are typically cured with stoichiometric or near-stoichiometric quantities of hardener to achieve

2716-406: Is considerable use of composite materials in the engine design. The oxidizer tank consists of a composite liner with graphite / epoxy over-wrap and titanium interface flanges. The CTN uses a high-temperature composite insulator with a graphite/epoxy structure. Incorporating the solid fuel (and hence the main part of the engine) and the ablative nozzle into this single bonded component minimizes

2813-475: Is degraded at temperatures above 350 °F (177 °C). Some epoxies are cured by exposure to ultraviolet light. Such epoxies are commonly used in optics , fiber optics , and optoelectronics . Epoxy systems are used in industrial tooling applications to produce molds , master models, laminates , castings , fixtures , and other industrial production aids. This "plastic tooling" replaces metal, wood and other traditional materials, and generally improves

2910-433: Is first added to bisphenol A (bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-propoxy)bisphenol A is formed), then a bisepoxide is formed in a condensation reaction with a stoichiometric amount of sodium hydroxide. The chlorine atom is released as sodium chloride (NaCl) and the hydrogen atom as water. Higher molecular weight diglycidyl ethers (n ≥ 1) are formed by the reaction of the bisphenol A diglycidyl ether formed with further bisphenol A, this

3007-446: Is further steepened in the higher part of the trajectory. The maximum acceleration during ascent was recorded at 1.70G. By the end of the burn the craft is flying upwards at some multiple of the speed of sound, up to about 900 m/s (3,000 ft/s) and Mach 3.5, and it continues to coast upwards unpowered (i.e. ballistically ). If the burn was long enough then it will exceed an altitude of 100 km (62 mi), at which height

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3104-407: Is not considered dangerous, but in both of these flights led to the achievement of a much lower altitude than expected. The details of the flaw are not public. The spacecraft cabin, designed to hold three humans, is shaped as a short cylinder, diameter 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in), with a pointed forward end. The pilot sits towards the front, and two passengers can be seated behind. The cabin

3201-663: Is not present in these materials as it is in Bisphenol A and F resins, the UV stability is considerably improved. Halogenated epoxy resins are admixed for special properties, in particular brominated and fluorinated epoxy resins are used. Brominated bisphenol A is used when flame retardant properties are required, such as in some electrical applications (e.g. printed circuit boards ). The tetrabrominated bisphenol A (TBBPA, 2,2-bis(3,5-dibromophenyl)propane) or its diglycidyl ether, 2,2-bis[3,5-dibromo-4-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)phenyl]propane, can be added to

3298-431: Is not throttleable. Once lit, the burn can be aborted, but the power output cannot otherwise be controlled. The thrust in fact varies, for two reasons. Firstly, as the pressure in the oxidizer tank decreases, the flow rate reduces, reducing thrust. Secondly, in the late stages of a burn the oxidizer tank contains a mixture of liquid and gaseous oxidizer, and the power output of the engine varies greatly depending on whether it

3395-494: Is of primary interest during the boost phase of a flight, and the subsonic mode when gliding. The craft has separate upper and lower rudders, and elevons . These are controlled using aviation -style stick and pedals. In supersonic mode the trim tabs are controlled electrically, whereas the subsonic mode uses mechanical cable-and-rod linkage. The wings of SpaceShipOne can be pneumatically tilted forwards into an aerodynamically stable high- drag "feathered" shape. This removes most of

3492-425: Is pressurized, maintaining a sea level breathable atmosphere. Oxygen is introduced to the cabin from a bottle, and carbon dioxide and water vapor are removed by absorbers. The occupants do not wear spacesuits or breathing masks, because the cabin has been designed to maintain pressure in the face of faults: all windows and seals are doubled. The cabin has sixteen round double-pane windows, positioned to provide

3589-448: Is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins . Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides , are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also collectively called epoxy . The IUPAC name for an epoxide group is an oxirane . Epoxy resins may be reacted ( cross-linked ) either with themselves through catalytic homo polymerisation , or with

3686-425: Is the only part of the craft, other than the fuel and oxidizer themselves, that must be replaced. The solid fuel is cast with four holes. This has the disadvantage that it is possible for chunks of fuel between the holes to become detached during a burn and obstruct the flow of oxidizer and exhaust. Such situations tend to rapidly self-correct. The oxidizer tank is filled and vented through its forward bulkhead , on

3783-399: Is then drop-released, and briefly glides unpowered. Rocket ignition may take place immediately, or may be delayed. If the rocket is never lit then SpaceShipOne can glide down to the ground. This is another major abort mode, in addition to being flown deliberately in glide tests. The rocket engine is ignited while the spacecraft is gliding. Once under power, it is raised into a 65° climb, which

3880-475: Is using liquid or gaseous oxidizer at a particular moment. (The liquid, being far denser, allows a greater burn rate.) Both the fuel and oxidizer can be stored without special precautions, and they do not burn when brought together without a significant source of heat. This makes the rocket far safer than conventional liquid or solid rockets. The combustion products are water vapour, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. The engine

3977-663: The Flight Director Display ( FDD ), it comprises the Flight Navigation Unit . The unit was developed jointly by Fundamental Technology Systems and Scaled Composites . The SNU is a GPS -based inertial navigation system, which processes spacecraft sensor data and subsystem health data. It downlinks telemetry data by radio to mission control. The FDD displays data from the SNU on a color LCD . It has several distinct display modes for different phases of flight, including

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4074-528: The X-15 than to those of orbiting spacecraft like the Space Shuttle . Accelerating a spacecraft to orbital speed requires more than 60 times as much energy as accelerating it to Mach 3. It would also require an elaborate heat shield to safely dissipate that energy during re-entry. SpaceShipOne's official model designation is Scaled Composites Model 316. The Scaled Composites Model 316 , known as SpaceShipOne ,

4171-517: The Microsoft legend: Allen's contributions to the partnership were as critical as Gates's. Without the tools that he developed, and his insight into the infrastructure that software development requires, Microsoft's subsequent growth would have been impossible.” Kirkus Reviews : ..."surprisingly profound and refreshingly frank." USA Today : “…complete and candid…” The New York Times : “The book reads well.” SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOne

4268-401: The amino groups may react as slowly as some of the aromatic amines. Slower reactivity allows longer working times for processors. Temperature resistance generally increases in the same order, since aromatic amines form much more rigid structures than aliphatic amines. Aromatic amines were widely used as epoxy resin hardeners, due to the excellent end properties when mixed with a parent resin. Over

4365-491: The atmosphere presents no appreciable resistance, and the craft experiences free fall for a few minutes. While at apogee the wings are reconfigured into high-drag mode. As the craft falls back it achieves high speeds comparable to those achieved on the way up; when it subsequently reenters the atmosphere it decelerates violently, up to 5.75G. At some altitude between 10 km (6.2 mi) and 20 km (12 mi) it reconfigures into low-drag glider mode, and glides down to

4462-428: The atmosphere. It consists of three sets of thrusters: thrusters at each wingtip control roll, at the top and bottom of the nose control pitch, and at the sides of the fuselage control yaw. All thrusters have redundant backups, so comprising twelve thrusters in all. The aerodynamic control surfaces of SpaceShipOne are designed to operate in two distinct flight regimes, subsonic and supersonic. The supersonic flight regime

4559-489: The best physical properties. Novolaks are produced by reacting phenol with methanal ( formaldehyde ). The reaction of epichlorohydrin and novolaks produces novolaks with glycidyl residues , such as epoxyphenol novolak (EPN) or epoxycresol novolak (ECN). These highly viscous to solid resins typically carry 2 to 6 epoxy groups per molecule. By curing, highly cross-linked polymers with high temperature and chemical resistance but low mechanical flexibility are formed due to

4656-620: The boost phase, coast , reentry, and gliding. The FDD is particularly important to the pilot during the boost and coast phase in order to "turn the corner" and null rates caused by asymmetric thrust. A mix of commercial and bespoke software is used in the FDD. Tier One uses a hybrid rocket engine supplied by SpaceDev , with solid hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB, or rubber ) fuel and liquid nitrous oxide oxidizer . It generates 88 kN (20,000 lb f ) of thrust, and can burn for about 87 s (1.45 min). The physical layout of

4753-717: The commercially used epoxy monomers are produced by the reaction of a compound with acidic hydroxy groups and epichlorohydrin . First a hydroxy group reacts in a coupling reaction with epichlorohydrin, followed by dehydrohalogenation . Epoxy resins produced from such epoxy monomers are called glycidyl -based epoxy resins. The hydroxy group may be derived from aliphatic diols , polyols (polyether polyols), phenolic compounds or dicarboxylic acids . Phenols can be compounds such as bisphenol A and novolak . Polyols can be compounds such as 1,4-butanediol . Di- and polyols lead to glycidyl ethers . Dicarboxylic acids such as hexahydrophthalic acid are used for diglycide ester resins. Instead of

4850-405: The efficiency and either lowers the overall cost or shortens the lead-time for many industrial processes. Epoxies are also used in producing fiber-reinforced or composite parts. They are more expensive than polyester resins and vinyl ester resins , but usually produce stronger and more temperature-resistant thermoset polymer matrix composite parts. Machine bedding to overcome vibrations is a use in

4947-418: The end of each wing, with horizontal stabilizers protruding from the tailbooms. It has gear for horizontal landings. The overall mass of the fully fueled craft is 3,600  kg (7,900 lb), of which 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) is taken by the fully loaded rocket motor. Empty mass of the spacecraft is 1,200 kg (2,600 lb), including the 300 kg (660 lb) empty motor casing. Originally

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5044-430: The engine is novel. The oxidizer tank is a primary structural component, and is the only part of the engine that is structurally connected to the spacecraft: the tank is in fact an integral part of the spacecraft fuselage. The tank is a short cylinder of diameter approximately 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in), with domed ends, and is the forwardmost part of the engine. The fuel casing is a narrow cylinder cantilevered to

5141-511: The epoxide group to form a hydroxyl group and a secondary amine. The secondary amine can further react with an epoxide to form a tertiary amine and an additional hydroxyl group. Kinetic studies have shown the reactivity of the primary amine to be approximately double that of the secondary amine. Use of a difunctional or polyfunctional amine forms a three-dimensional cross-linked network. Aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic amines are all employed as epoxy hardeners. Amine type hardeners will alter both

5238-462: The epoxy formulation . The formulation may then be reacted in the same way as pure bisphenol A. Some (non-crosslinked) epoxy resins with very high molar mass are added to engineering thermoplastics, again to achieve flame retardant properties. Fluorinated epoxy resins have been investigated for some high performance applications , such as the fluorinated diglycidether 5-heptafluoropropyl-1,3-bis[2-(2,3-epoxypropoxy)hexafluoro-2-propyl]benzene. As it has

5335-672: The epoxy resin and hardener may be mixed and stored for some time prior to use, which is advantageous for many industrial processes. Very latent hardeners enable one-component (1K) products to be produced, whereby the resin and hardener are supplied pre-mixed to the end user and only require heat to initiate curing. One-component products generally have shorter shelf-lives than standard 2-component systems, and products may require cooled storage and transport. The epoxy curing reaction may be accelerated by addition of small quantities of accelerators . Tertiary amines, carboxylic acids and alcohols (especially phenols) are effective accelerators. Bisphenol A

5432-479: The first privately funded human spaceflight. On October 4, it won the US$ 10 million Ansari X Prize , by reaching 100 kilometers in altitude twice in a two-week period with the equivalent of three people on board and with no more than ten percent of the non-fuel weight of the spacecraft replaced between flights. Development costs were estimated to be US$ 25 million , funded completely by Paul Allen . Epoxy Epoxy

5529-449: The formation of bisphenol A-diglycidyl ether. Also aliphatic glycidyl epoxy resins usually have a low viscosity compared to aromatic epoxy resins. They are therefore added to other epoxy resins as reactive diluents or as adhesion promoters . Epoxy resins made of (long-chain) polyols are also added to improve tensile strength and impact strength. A related class is cycloaliphatic epoxy resin, which contains one or more cycloaliphatic rings in

5626-502: The funding of approximately US$ 25 million. Rutan has indicated that ideas about the project began as early as 1994 and the full-time development cycle time to the 2004 accomplishments was about three years. The vehicle first achieved supersonic flight on December 17, 2003, which was also the one-hundredth anniversary of the Wright Brothers ' historic first powered flight. SpaceShipOne's first official spaceflight, known as flight 15P ,

5723-484: The ground, attached to White Knight in a parasite configuration, and under White Knight's power. The combination of SpaceShipOne and White Knight can take off, land, and fly under jet power to high altitude. A captive carry flight is one where the two craft land together without launching SpaceShipOne; this is one of the main abort modes available. For launch, the combined craft flies to an altitude of around 14 km (8.7 mi), which takes about an hour. SpaceShipOne

5820-401: The high functionality, and hence high crosslink density of these resins. There are two common types of aliphatic epoxy resins: those obtained by epoxidation of double bonds (cycloaliphatic epoxides and epoxidized vegetable oils ) and those formed by reaction with epichlorohydrin (glycidyl ethers and esters). Cycloaliphatic epoxides contain one or more aliphatic rings in the molecule on which

5917-420: The interior of the fairing was painted white, and some small stiffening ribs were added. The craft has a single unsteerable and unthrottleable hybrid rocket motor, a cold gas reaction control system , and aerodynamic control surfaces . All can be controlled manually. See the separate section below concerning the rocket engine. The reaction control system is the only way to control spacecraft attitude outside

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6014-549: The linear epoxy resin with suitable curatives to form three-dimensional cross-linked thermoset structures. This process is commonly referred to as curing or gelation process. Curing of epoxy resins is an exothermic reaction and in some cases produces sufficient heat to cause thermal degradation if not controlled. Curing does induce residual stress in epoxy systems which have been studied. The induced stresses may be alleviated with flexibilisers. Curing may be achieved by reacting an epoxy with itself (homopolymerisation) or by forming

6111-435: The low dielectric constants and the absence of chlorine, cycloaliphatic epoxides are often used to encapsulate electronic systems, such as microchips or LEDs. They are also used for radiation-cured paints and varnishes. Due to their high price, however, their use has so far been limited to such applications. Epoxidized vegetable oils are formed by epoxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by reaction with peracids. In this case,

6208-923: The modifiers has been studied. Epoxy adhesives are a major part of the class of adhesives called "structural adhesives" or "engineering adhesives" (that includes polyurethane , acrylic , cyanoacrylate , and other chemistries.) These high-performance adhesives are used in the construction of aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, boats, golf clubs, skis, snowboards, and other applications where high strength bonds are required. Epoxy adhesives can be developed to suit almost any application. They can be used as adhesives for wood, metal, glass, stone, and some plastics. They can be made flexible or rigid, transparent or opaque /colored, fast setting or slow setting. Epoxy adhesives are better in heat and chemical resistance than other common adhesives. In general, epoxy adhesives cured with heat will be more heat- and chemical-resistant than those cured at room temperature. The strength of epoxy adhesives

6305-400: The molecule (e.g. 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate). This class also displays lower viscosity at room temperature, but offers significantly higher temperature resistance than the aliphatic epoxy diluents. However, reactivity is rather low compared to other classes of epoxy resin, and high temperature curing using suitable accelerators is normally required. As aromaticity

6402-516: The need to control attitude actively during the early part of reentry: Scaled Composites refer to this as "care-free reentry". One of the early test flights actually performed re-entry inverted, demonstrating the flexibility and inherent stability of Burt Rutan 's " shuttlecock " design. This feathered reentry mode is claimed to be inherently safer than the behavior at similar speeds of the Space Shuttle . The Shuttle undergoes enormous aerodynamic stresses and must be precisely steered in order to remain in

6499-439: The nozzle protruded from the back, but this turned out to be aerodynamically disadvantageous. In June 2004, between flights 14P and 15P , a fairing was added, smoothly extending the fuselage shape to meet the flared end of the nozzle. On flight 15P the new fairing overheated, due to being black on the inside and facing a hot, black nozzle. The fairing softened, and the lower part crumpled inwards during boost. Following that flight

6596-594: The oil and gas industry, potable water transmission pipelines (steel), and concrete reinforcing rebar . Epoxy coatings are also widely used as primers to improve the adhesion of automotive and marine paints especially on metal surfaces where corrosion (rusting) resistance is important. Metal cans and containers are often coated with epoxy to prevent rusting, especially for foods like tomatoes that are acidic . Epoxy resins are also used for decorative flooring applications such as terrazzo flooring, chip flooring, and colored aggregate flooring. Epoxies have been modified in

6693-486: The opposite side of the tank from the fuel and the rest of the engine. This improves safety. It is filled to a pressure of 4.8  MPa (700 psi) at room temperature . The nozzle has an expansion ratio of 25:1, which is optimized for the upper part of the atmosphere. A different nozzle, with an expansion ratio of 10:1, is used for test firing on the ground. The nozzles are black on the outside, but for aerodynamic testing, red dummy nozzles are used instead. The rocket

6790-459: The overall shape is as two conventional planes, with very thin fuselages, side by side and joined at their wingtips, with the cockpit and engines mounted at the point of joining. Although White Knight was developed for certain roles in the Tier One program, it is a very capable aircraft in its own right. Scaled Composites describe it as a "high-altitude research aircraft". SpaceShipOne takes off from

6887-546: The oxidizer is stored under pressure, no pump is required. The tank liner and the fuel casing are built in-house by Scaled Composites . The tank over-wrap is supplied by Thiokol . The ablative nozzle is supplied by AAE Aerospace . The oxidizer fill, vent, and dump system is supplied by Environmental Aeroscience Corporation . The remaining components—the ignition system, main control valve, injector, tank bulkheads, electronic controls, and solid fuel casting—are supplied by SpaceDev . The CTN must be replaced between firings. This

6984-602: The oxirane ring is contained (e.g. 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3',4'-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate ). They are produced by the reaction of a cyclic alkene with a peracid (see above). Cycloaliphatic epoxides are characterised by their aliphatic structure, high oxirane content and the absence of chlorine, which results in low viscosity and (once cured) good weather resistance, low dielectric constants and high T g . However, aliphatic epoxy resins polymerize very slowly at room temperature, so higher temperatures and suitable accelerators are usually required. Because aliphatic epoxies have

7081-400: The past few decades concern about the possible adverse health effects of many aromatic amines has led to increased use of aliphatic or cycloaliphatic amine alternatives. Amines are also blended, adducted and reacted to alter properties and these amine resins are more often used to cure epoxy resins than a pure amine such as TETA. Increasingly, water-based polyamines are also used to help reduce

7178-444: The peracids can also be formed in situ by reacting carboxylic acids with hydrogen peroxide. Compared with LERs (liquid epoxy resins) they have very low viscosities. If, however, they are used in larger proportions as reactive diluents , this often leads to reduced chemical and thermal resistance and to poorer mechanical properties of the cured epoxides. Large scale epoxidized vegetable oils such as epoxidized soy and lens oils are used to

7275-449: The polymerisation reaction used to produce them. High purity grades can be produced for certain applications, e.g. using a distillation purification process. One downside of high purity liquid grades is their tendency to form crystalline solids due to their highly regular structure, which then require melting to enable processing. An important criterion for epoxy resins is the Epoxy value which

7372-407: The possible leak paths. The oxidizer tank and CTN are bolted together at the main valve bulkhead, which is integrated into the tank. There are O-rings at the interface to prevent leakage; this is the main potential leak path in the engine. The ignition system, main control valve, and injector are mounted on the valve bulkhead, inside the tank. Slosh baffles are also mounted on this bulkhead. Because

7469-418: The processing properties (viscosity, reactivity) and the final properties (mechanical, temperature and heat resistance) of the cured copolymer network. Thus amine structure is normally selected according to the application. Overall reactivity potential for different hardeners can roughly be ordered; aliphatic amines > cycloaliphatic amines > aromatic amines, though aliphatic amines with steric hindrance near

7566-871: The range of commercially available variations allows cure polymers to be produced with a very broad range of properties. They have been extensively used with concrete and cementitious systems. In general, epoxies are known for their excellent adhesion, chemical and heat resistance, good-to-excellent mechanical properties and very good electrical insulating properties. Many properties of epoxies can be modified (for example silver -filled epoxies with good electrical conductivity are available, although epoxies are typically electrically insulating). Variations offering high thermal insulation , or thermal conductivity combined with high electrical resistance for electronics applications, are available. As with other classes of thermoset polymer materials, blending different grades of epoxy resin, as well as use of additives, plasticizers or fillers

7663-417: The ratio of bisphenol A to epichlorohydrin during manufacture produces higher molecular weight linear polyethers with glycidyl end groups, which are semi-solid to hard crystalline materials at room temperature depending on the molecular weight achieved. This route of synthesis is known as the "taffy" process. The usual route to higher molecular weight epoxy resins is to start with liquid epoxy resin (LER) and add

7760-491: The resulting cured network makes them important materials for aerospace composite applications. There are several dozen chemicals that can be used to cure epoxy, including amines , imidazoles, anhydrides and photosensitive chemicals. The study of epoxy curing is usually carried out by using differential scanning calorimetry . In general, uncured epoxy resins have only poor mechanical, chemical and heat resistance properties. However, good properties are obtained by reacting

7857-784: The resulting network does not typically display high temperature or chemical resistance, the high reactivity of the thiol group makes it useful for applications where heated curing is not possible, or very fast cure is required e.g. for domestic DIY adhesives and chemical rock bolt anchors . Thiols have a characteristic odour, which can be detected in many two-component household adhesives. The applications for epoxy-based materials are extensive and they are considered very versatile. The applications include coatings, adhesives and composite materials such as those using carbon fiber and fiberglass reinforcements (although polyester , vinyl ester , and other thermosetting resins are also used for glass-reinforced plastic). The chemistry of epoxies and

7954-444: The said epoxidation and prepolymerisation. Bisphenol F may undergo epoxy resin formation in a similar fashion to bisphenol A. These resins typically have lower viscosity and a higher mean epoxy content per gram than bisphenol A resins, which (once cured) gives them increased chemical resistance. Important epoxy resins are produced from combining epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A to give bisphenol A diglycidyl ethers . Increasing

8051-406: The same cabin, avionics , and trim system as SpaceShipOne. This means it can flight-qualify almost all components of SpaceShipOne. It also has a high thrust-to-weight ratio and large speed brakes. These features combined allow it to be used as a high-fidelity moving platform flight simulator for SpaceShipOne. White Knight is also equipped with a trim system which (when activated) causes it to have

8148-519: The same glide profile as SpaceShipOne; this allows the pilots to practice for landing SpaceShipOne. The same pilots fly White Knight as fly SpaceShipOne. The aircraft's distinctive shape features long, thin wings, in a flattened "W" shape, with a wingspan of 25 m (82 ft), dual tailplanes, and four wheels (front and rear at each side). The rear wheels retract, but the front ones, which are steerable, are permanently deployed, with small fairings, referred to as "spats", in front. Another way to look at

8245-411: The spacecraft incapable of landing independently, requiring mid-air retrieval . This was deemed too risky, and the hybrid final design manages to incorporate the feathering capability into a craft that can land in a conventional manner. The tiltable rear sections of the wings and the tailbooms are collectively referred to as "the feather". The landing gear consists of two widely separated main wheels and

8342-453: The tank, pointing backwards. The cantilevered design means that a variety of motor sizes can be accommodated without changing the interface or other components. The nozzle is a simple extension of the fuel casing; the casing and nozzle are actually a single component, referred to as the CTN ( c ase, t hroat, and n ozzle). Burt Rutan has applied for a patent on this engine configuration. There

8439-430: The terminal epoxy groups are insignificant compared to the total size of the molecule). These resins do however contain hydroxyl groups throughout the backbone, which may also undergo other cross-linking reactions, e.g. with aminoplasts, phenoplasts and isocyanates . Epoxy resins are polymeric or semi-polymeric materials or an oligomer , and as such rarely exist as pure substances, since variable chain length results from

8536-706: The toxicity profile among other reasons. Epoxy resins may be thermally cured with anhydrides to create polymers with significant property retention at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time. Reaction and subsequent crosslinking occur only after opening of the anhydride ring, e.g. by secondary hydroxyl groups in the epoxy resin. Homopolymerization may also occur between epoxide and hydroxyl groups. The high latency of anhydride hardeners makes them suitable for processing systems which require addition of mineral fillers prior to curing, e.g. for high voltage electrical insulators. Cure speed may be improved by matching anhydrides with suitable accelerators. For dianhydrides, and to

8633-891: The viscosity of other epoxy resins. This has led to the term modified epoxy resin to denote those containing viscosity-lowering reactive diluents. The use of the diluent does effect mechanical properties and microstructure of epoxy resins. Mechanical properties of epoxy resins are generally not improved by use of diluents. Biobased epoxy diluents are also available. Glycidylamine epoxy resins are higher functionality epoxies which are formed when aromatic amines are reacted with epichlorohydrin . Important industrial grades are triglycidyl- p -aminophenol (functionality 3) and N , N , N ′, N ′-tetraglycidyl-bis-(4-aminophenyl)-methane (functionality 4). The resins are low to medium viscosity at room temperature, which makes them easier to process than EPN or ECN resins. This coupled with high reactivity, plus high temperature resistance and mechanical properties of

8730-472: The wing; this increases drag while retaining stability. SpaceShipOne completed the first crewed private spaceflight in 2004. That same year, it won the US$ 10 million Ansari X Prize and was immediately retired from active service. Its mother ship was named " White Knight ". Both craft were developed and flown by Mojave Aerospace Ventures , which was a joint venture between Paul Allen and Scaled Composites , Burt Rutan 's aviation company. Allen provided

8827-446: Was a spaceplane designed to: The fuselage is cigar-shaped, with an overall diameter of about 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in). The main structure is of a graphite / epoxy composite material . From front to back, it contains the crew cabin, oxidizer tank, fuel casing, and rocket nozzle. The craft has short, wide wings, with a span of 5 m (16 ft) and a chord of 3 m (9.8 ft). Large vertical tailbooms are mounted on

8924-494: Was accidentally leaked to Air and Space . If it flew with no thermal protection, the spacecraft would survive reentry but would be damaged. The spacecraft's aerodynamic design has an acknowledged "known deficiency" that makes it susceptible to roll excursions. This has been seen on SpaceShipOne flight 15P where wind shear caused a large roll immediately after ignition, and SpaceShipOne flight 16P where circumstances not yet fully understood caused multiple rapid rolls. This flaw

9021-555: Was achieved, when Krauklis and Echtermeyer discovered the mechanistic origin of yellowing in a commonly used amine epoxy resin, published in 2018. They found that the molecular reason for epoxy yellowing was a thermo-oxidative evolution of carbonyl groups in the polymeric carbon–carbon backbone via a nucleophilic radical attack. Polyester epoxies are used as powder coatings for washers, driers and other "white goods". Fusion Bonded Epoxy Powder Coatings (FBE) are extensively used for corrosion protection of steel pipes and fittings used in

9118-507: Was capable of 88 kN (20,000 lb f ) thrust and an 87 s (1.45 min) burn. Tier One's launch aircraft, Scaled Composites Model 318 , known as White Knight , is designed to take off and land horizontally and attain an altitude of about 15 km (9.3 mi), all while carrying the Tier One spacecraft in a parasite aircraft configuration. Its propulsion is by twin turbojets : afterburning J-85-GE-5 engines, rated at 15.6  kN (3,500 lb f ) of thrust each. It has

9215-537: Was first reported and patented by Paul Schlack of Germany in 1934. Claims of discovery of bisphenol-A -based epoxy resins include Pierre Castan in 1943. Castan's work was licensed by Ciba , Ltd. of Switzerland, which went on to become one of the three major epoxy resin producers worldwide. In 1946, Sylvan Greenlee, working for the Devoe ;& Raynolds Company (now part of Hexion Inc. ), patented resin derived from bisphenol-A and epichlorohydrin . Most of

9312-573: Was piloted by Mike Melvill . A few days before that flight, the Mojave Air and Space Port was the first commercial spaceport licensed in the United States. A few hours after that flight, Melvill became the first licensed U.S. commercial astronaut . The overall project name was " Tier One " which has evolved into Tier 1b with a goal of taking a successor ship's first passengers into space. The achievements of SpaceShipOne are more comparable to those of

9409-465: Was upgraded in September 2004, between flights 15P and 16P . The upgrade increased the oxidizer tank size, to provide greater thrust in the early part of the burn, allow a longer burn, and delay the onset of the variable thrust phase at the end of the burn. Prior to the upgrade the engine generated 76 kN (17,000 lb f ) of thrust and could burn for 76 s (1.27 min). After the upgrade it

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