The US Department of Defense is partnering with industry and academia on an initiative to advance the manufacturing and sustainment of carbon-carbon (C/C) composites by developing a cost-effective, accelerated, scalable process using dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) as a precursor.

Specific objectives include:

  • Develop and validate combined layup, impregnation, containment, and curing (CLIC) to reduce C/C production costs by 20-30%, benefiting public sector affordability.
  • Optimize DCPD-based C/C composite properties (e.g., density, thermal stability) to enhance component longevity, reducing maintenance needs for commercial and DoD systems.
  • Conduct hypersonic testing to validate material performance under extreme conditions, ensuring reliability for aerospace and defense applications.
  • Establish standards and specifications for DCPD-based C/C composites, facilitating adoption across industries and DoD maintenance communities.
  • Train a skilled workforce to support advanced manufacturing

If you feel your organization has the technical capabilities and would like to be considered for this project, please complete the form below and upload your organization’s technical capabilities statement.

Interested Submissions Due by 9/2/2025.

We encourage participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs), including Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women’s Business Enterprises (WBEs).

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