NIMS and JAXA Issues Data Sheet No. 19 on Space Use Materials

The National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS; President: Sukekatsu Ushioda), in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA; President: Keiji Tachikawa), is engaged in activities to evaluate the mechanical properties of metallic materials used in liquid rocket engines for Japan's H-IIA and H-IIB launch vehicles, aiming at enhancing the reliability of the launch vehicles. As a result of these activities, NIMS and JAXA issued a new Data Sheet on Space Use Materials on March 30, 2012:

SPACE USE MATERIALS STRENGTH DATA SHEET No. 19
DATA SHEET ON CREEP DEFORMATION PROPERTIES OF Cu-Cr-Zr ALLOY

These activities are part of efforts by NIMS to improve the intellectual infrastructure under its 3rd Five-year Plan (FY2011-FY2015) and by JAXA to maintain and develop main rockets under its 2nd Five-year Plan (FY2008-2012). Numerous results have been achieved to date, for example, elucidation of the fatigue mechanism of a titanium alloy and a nickel-base superalloy at cryogenic temperatures, etc.
In the future, NIMS plans to issue a data sheet on welded joints of the nickel-base superalloy used in rocket engines.