Future composite applications for Navy submarines and surface ships requires advanced polymeric matrices that have improved fire, smoke, and toxicity (FST) as compared to the present state of the art composite matrix resins of today. These matrixcharacteristics, along with the requirement of low… More

Composite aircraft structures can be damaged and require field repair to make operable and safe for flight. Field repairs have typically been accomplished using two-part liquid resin systems or prepreg materials that require cold storage. These current technolgies are limited due to void formation… More

In Phase I, a filament winding resin was developed that had a glass transition temperature of 274 C and could be processed at ambient temperature. This resin was characterized using existing filament winding machines at a subcontractor and found to process as well as low thermal performance resins… More

The Army desires to have a high temperature matrix for use in filament winding composites that can be easily processed at room temperature and has a minimum glass transition temperature of 260C (500F)when cured. This objective will be accomplished by developing epoxy curing agent technology based on… More

Composite parts on aircraft can be field repaired if the damage is small, using only vacuum and heat blankets or portable ovens. As alternative to using wet laminating resins and prepreg systems for repair, resin film infusion (RFI) is cost effective and can alleviate some problems with current… More

As an alternative material to aluminum-lithium, cryotanks developed from fiber reinforced composites can offer significant weight savings in applications for fuel containment of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. For composite materials to be accepted and utilized in these structures, they must be… More

Polymeric composite materials that are currently utilized in aircraft structures are susceptible to significant damage from lightning strikes. Enhanced electrical and thermal conductivity in these polymeric composites could eliminate this damage. The addition of this multifunctional capability to… More

As the size of composite parts exceed that of even the largest autoclaves, new out-of-autoclave processes and materials are necessary to achieve the same level of performance as autoclave cured composites. Unfortunately, the quality of composites manufactured with current out-of-autoclave prepreg… More

As an alternative material to aluminum-lithium, cryotanks developed from fiber reinforced composites can offer significant weight savings in applications for fuel containment of liquid oxygen and hydrogen. For composite materials to be accepted and utilized in these structures, they must be… More

As the size of composite parts exceed that of even the largest autoclaves, new out-of-autoclave processes and materials are necessary to achieve the same level of performance as autoclave cured composites. Many of the new out-of-autoclave prepreg systems can be used to manufacture high quality… More

Composite structures are often damaged during manufacturing or in service. Depending on the level of damage, the part will require repair or replacement to make operable and safe for flight. While there are many different types of repair methods, resin injection offers a less intrusive method of… More