G8 Initiative: Material Efficiency: A First Step Toward Sustainable Manufacturing of Composite Materials

G8 倡议：材料效率：迈向复合材料可持续制造的第一步

• 批准号: 1229011
• 负责人: Steven Nutt
• 金额: $ 44.7万
• 依托单位: University of Southern California
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-15 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1229011&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: G8; Initiative; Material; Efficiency; First

This NSF award to the University of Southern California funds U.S. researchers participating in a project competitively selected by the G8 Research Councils Initiative "Interdisciplinary Program on Material Efficiency - A first step towards sustainable manufacturing". This is a pilot collaboration among the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Canadian National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the German Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR),and the United Kingdom Research Councils (RCUK), supporting collaborative research projects selected on a competitive basis that are comprised of researchers from at least three of the partner countries. Composite parts for aerospace structures are presently manufactured using autoclaves, large heated pressure vessels used to cure laminates consisting of fiber layers partly impregnated with polymer films, called prepregs. Autoclaves are highly effective in producing high-performance laminates with high fiber loadings and low defect content, but they consume large amounts of energy and nitrogen gas. A new class of vacuum bag only (VBO) prepregs was recently introduced to eliminate the need for autoclaves during manufacture. Work at the composite centers at the University of Southern California (USC) and McGill University has begun to develop fundamental understanding of processes inherent to VBO prepreg processing, suggesting the broad utility of this new class of materials. While these developments have great potential for expanding the use of composite materials and VBO prepregs in particular, key technical challenges must be addressed to realize widespread acceptance and use. This interdisciplinary project with the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom focuses on (1) developing fundamental understanding of the effects of manufacturing process parameters on defects in composites produced with VBO prepregs, (2) improving material efficiency by reducing material waste in the automated manufacture of composite parts, (3) accelerating insertion of VBO materials technology through simulation and validation of VBO composite performance, and (4) improving sustainability by advancing recycling technology and developing and demonstrating energy-efficient smart tooling concepts. These objectives require an approach that combines expertise in process simulation, automated manufacturing, materials qualification and acceptance, and fundamental polymer science and technology. The proposed work will leverage the expertise of researchers at major academic composite centers in four G8 countries. Project personnel will be trained in state-of-the art tools for design, manufacture and re-use of next-generation composites. Postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students will be involved in the completion of this work. The project will involve participating students and early-career researchers in a coordinated effort to address scientific issues of global importance through international collaboration.

美国国家科学基金会授予南加州大学的这一奖项，资助美国研究人员参与由八国集团研究理事会倡议“材料效率跨学科计划-迈向可持续制造的第一步”竞争性选择的项目。这是美国国家科学基金会、加拿大国家科学和工程研究理事会（NSERC）、法国国家研究机构（ANR）、德国研究共同体（DFG）、日本科学促进协会（JSPS）、俄罗斯基础研究基金会（RFBR）和英国研究理事会（RCUK）之间的试点合作。支持在竞争基础上选定的由至少三个伙伴国家的研究人员组成的合作研究项目。用于航空航天结构的复合材料部件目前使用高压釜制造，高压釜是用于固化由部分地浸渍有聚合物膜的纤维层组成的层压材料的大型加热压力容器，称为热压罐。高压釜在生产具有高纤维含量和低缺陷含量的高性能层压板方面非常有效，但它们消耗大量的能量和氮气。最近推出了一种新的真空袋式（VBO）灭菌器，以消除生产过程中对高压灭菌器的需求。在南加州大学（USC）和麦吉尔大学的复合材料中心的工作已经开始发展对VBO预浸料处理固有工艺的基本理解，这表明这种新材料的广泛用途。虽然这些发展对扩大复合材料的使用，特别是VBO复合材料的使用具有很大的潜力，但必须解决关键的技术挑战，以实现广泛的接受和使用。这个与美国、加拿大、德国和英国合作的跨学科项目的重点是：（1）发展对制造工艺参数对用VBO玻璃钢生产的复合材料缺陷的影响的基本认识，（2）通过减少复合材料零件自动制造中的材料浪费来提高材料效率，（3）通过模拟和验证VBO复合材料的性能，加速VBO材料技术的应用;（4）通过推进回收技术，开发和展示节能智能工具概念，提高可持续性。这些目标需要结合工艺模拟、自动化制造、材料鉴定和验收以及基础聚合物科学和技术方面的专业知识的方法。拟议的工作将利用四个八国集团国家主要学术复合中心研究人员的专业知识。 项目人员将接受设计、制造和再利用下一代复合材料的最先进工具的培训。博士后研究人员，研究生和本科生将参与完成这项工作。该项目将涉及参与的学生和早期职业研究人员，通过国际合作协调努力解决具有全球重要性的科学问题。