SBIR Phase I: Lightweight Composites for Aerospace Applications

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将通过将独特的高模量聚丙烯纤维加入混合复合材料中含有碳纤维的织物中，测试制造适用于航空航天环境的轻质高模量聚合物复合材料的可行性。在当今的航空航天应用中，对复合材料的要求非常高，包括1)耐溶剂性，2)热循环耐久性，3)抗紫外线暴露的能力，以及重量轻，模量和强度优越。虽然已知聚丙烯纤维的耐溶剂性和抗紫外线暴露性都很好，但热循环耐久性预计会带来重大的技术障碍，为了利用这两种性能纤维的混合可能产生的物理特性，必须克服这些障碍。在SBIR下进行的研究将通过制造一种树脂兼容的高模量聚丙烯纱来解决这一问题，这种高模量聚丙烯纱可以与碳一起编织成低重量、高模量、抗冲击性好的混合结构，此外还可以满足航空航天工业的其他要求。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will test the feasibility of making light weight and high modulus polymer composite materials, suitable for the aerospace environment through incorporating unique high modulus polypropylene fiber into fabrics containing carbon fiber in hybrid composites. The demands on composites used in today's aerospace applications are significant, and include 1) solvent resistance, 2) thermal cycling durability, 3) the ability to survive ultraviolet exposure, in addition to light weight, superior modulus and strength. While solvent resistance and UV exposure resistance are known to be good for polypropylene fibers, the thermal cycling durability is expected to pose significant technical hurdles which will have to be overcome in order to take advantage of the physical properties that are possible by making hybrids of these two performance fibers. The research performed under this SBIR will address this issue by making a resin-compatible high-modulus polypropylene yarn that can be woven with carbon into hybrid structures with low weight, high modulus, good impact resistance, in addition to meeting the other demands of the aerospace industry.