Abstract
This study presents the development and experimental investigation of composite thermal insulation materials intended for application in solid-propellant rocket motors. Test specimens were fabricated using the hand winding method with phenol-formaldehyde resin as the binder and four types of reinforcing fabrics: carbon, basalt, glass, and silica. A comprehensive set of tests was conducted, including tensile strength (up to 420 MPa), compressive strength (up to 310 MPa), Brinell hardness (ranging from 29 to 43 HB), thermal conductivity (from 0.045 to 0.39 W/(m·K)), and thermal resistance under direct high-temperature gas exposure (rear surface temperatures from ~250 to 350 °C). The results demonstrated that composites reinforced with carbon fabric exhibited the highest mechanical strength and heat resistance, whereas silica-based composites showed the lowest thermal conductivity and the best thermal insulation performance, making them suitable for internal thermal protection of combustion chambers and nozzles in rocket propulsion systems.