Colloquia

Summary

Small failures can lead to mission-critical failures, especially in high-tech naval environments. In radar systems, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coolant hoses play a crucial role in thermal management, ensuring stable operation under demanding conditions. While PTFE is known for its chemical resistance and durability, its long-term behavior in a marine environment is uncertain.

This research focuses on understanding the degradation mechanisms, failure modes, and potential lifetime of PTFE coolant hoses used in Thales radar systems. A series of accelerated aging tests have been conducted to assess thermal and mechanical degradation, supported by analytical techniques such as microscropic analysis (SEM), thermal analysis (DSC), hardness, and tensile testing. The study aims to determine whether these hoses exhibit significant degradation over time or if they can be considered to have an extended—possibly indefinite—lifetime.

By identifying key failure mechanisms and evaluating the reliability of these hoses, this research contributes to improved maintenance strategies and system longevity, so that finally, mission reliability in naval applications is improved.