PFI-TT: Advanced Prepreg Materials for Robust, Low-Cost Manufacture of Composite Structures

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this PFI project includes lowering production costs and cost-related entry barriers for the manufacturing of composite structures in aerospace, wind energy, defense, and other fields. The proposed technology will allow customers to effectively and reliably control process-induced defects during production, reducing rates of part rejection or rework, production costs, and cycle times, while increasing manufacturing efficiency and robustness. Moreover, the materials manufactured with the proposed technology will provide a viable solution for in-field repair of composites, replacing problematic legacy methods and disrupting an area poised for growth. Educationally, the project will provide opportunities to train participants in technology advancement and commercialization, and will foster cooperation between academic and industry participants. Scientifically, the project will contribute to a deeper and broader understanding of engineering science and technology associated with composite materials and production processes. Societally, the project will increase U.S. technical competitiveness in composites, advanced materials, and advanced manufacturing across multiple sectors of national interest, create jobs, and contribute to economic growth and long-term prosperity.The proposed project will develop material and process technologies that address long-standing efficiency and robustness challenges associated with manufacturing of composite structures. Many sectors, including aerospace, seek to utilize low-pressure out-of-autoclave (OoA) processing to improve production rates and reduce costs. However, commercial OoA prepreg materials (fibers impregnated with liquid resin) possess a sub-optimal design that results in unacceptable defects in non-ideal manufacturing conditions. This project will develop methods for producing advanced prepregs with an optimized format by combining partial impregnation and a discontinuous resin distribution. The project team will (1) develop industrially-scalable production methods, (2) create prototype materials for two applications with strong market needs (aerospace structure fabrication, and in-field repair), and (3) perform scale-up trials in realistic conditions for validation and demonstration. These activities require knowledge, use, and control of complex physical processes, including deformation of multi-scale fiber beds, multi-phase fluid flow, and microstructural defect formation. Technical work will advance knowledge in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and composites processing, and lead to viable methods for producing innovative prepregs. Overall, the project will derive intellectual merit from leveraging and applying fundamental insights, developing new science-based materials and systems, and providing a technical basis for further advancement.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.