Phenolic-Impregnated Carbon Ablators (PICA) Modelling for Spacecraft Structures Under High-Temperature Applications

Phenolic-Impregnated Carbon Ablators (PICA) Modelling for Spacecraft Structures Under High-Temperature Applications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Phenolic-Impregnated Carbon Ablators (PICA) Modelling for Spacecraft Structures Under High-Temperature Applications Kalid Kassa, Sheriffdeen O. ANAFI, Abrar H. BALUCH This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8928800/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In the aerospace applications varying from spacecraft re-entry vehicles to rocket propulsion systems demand robust thermal protection against extreme temperature. Accurate modeling of charring ablation is critical for reliable virtual testing, reducing dependence on costly ground experiments. Previous finite element studies using Arrhenius-based kinetics reproduced surface temperatures reasonably well but consistently overpredicted surface recession, underscoring the sensitivity of predictions to assumed constant parameters. This study presents the first implementation of isoconversional kinetics using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method for one-dimensional PICA torch test simulation within Abaqus finite element environment. Multi-rate thermogravimetric data were reduced to obtain conversion-dependent activation energy and pre-exponential factors, which were tabulated and embedded into UMATHT. Results show that FWO kinetics improve predictive fidelity by lowering recession errors by 47% (frozen) compared to Arrhenius, while reducing surface temperature by 60–120 K and keeping it within the experimental 2250–2500 K band across 0.6–1.6 kg/(m²·s). However, the temperature profile and the recession rate could not be simultaneously reproduced by a single heat transfer coefficient, highlighting the shortcomings of bulk-pyrolysis kinetics and indicating the need for refined boundary modeling or inclusion of surface chemistry effects. Overall, the FWO framework represents a more realistic upgrade to Arrhenius formulations, reducing conservatism in TPS simulations and improving predictive fidelity in Abaqus. Aeronautics and Astronautics Virtual testing Aerospace materials Thermal protection systems (TPS) Ablation Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method Isoconversional kinetics PICA Abaqus/UMATHT Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8928800","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":594639040,"identity":"59a7065a-1e81-4c94-9968-e058c246e7c2","order_by":0,"name":"Kalid Kassa","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9901-1593","institution":"King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kalid","middleName":"","lastName":"Kassa","suffix":""},{"id":594639042,"identity":"c342329a-5e27-4391-9b64-54673ab60e39","order_by":1,"name":"Sheriffdeen O. 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