Durability and thermomechanical performance evaluation of lightweight reinforced thermoplastic composites

该项目的动力来自于对汽车和航空航天行业运输系统中环保和可回收复合材料结构的巨大需求，建筑行业的轻质复合材料板，以及石油、天然气和水应用的可卷曲复合管道。此次合作的目标是根据轻质纤维增强热塑性复合材料结构在不同环境老化和长期负载条件下的耐久性和热机械性能，确定其应用范围。轻质连续纤维增强热塑性复合材料由于其特殊的性能，如优异的耐腐蚀性、高强度重量比、原材料几乎无限的保质期、可回收性和低成本，在过去十年中受到了极大的关注。通过使用快速和连续的制造过程显著降低制造成本，以及热塑性基复合材料相对容易回收的能力是在该项目中使用热塑性基材料比热固性材料的两个主要优势。该项目是与工业合作伙伴：Shawcor的复合生产系统公司合作的。项目成果将是(i)商业热塑性增强复合材料结构的热机械性能应用信封，提供有关此类结构的局限性和长期性能的详细信息；（ii）在工业合作伙伴的投资组合中增加可回收复合材料，帮助加拿大的商业增长和创造就业机会；（iii）通过对材料在不利环境条件下的行为进行跨部门的科学研究，建立一个特殊的培训项目；（iv）通过与合作伙伴的短期实习和讲习班进行有效的技术和知识转移。该项目将对以下方面产生影响：(a)促进使用可回收物料以保护环境；(b)在多尺度测试的推动下，增强了对结构材料失效机制的理解；(c)为石油/天然气、水和其他使用相同或类似材料的行业（如汽车）设计和制造加拿大制造产品的创新，从而创造就业机会和经济增长。每一项成果和影响对加拿大都很重要。

This project is motivated by significant demand for eco-friendly and recyclable composite structures for transportation systems in the automotive and aerospace industry, lightweight composite panels in the building industry, and spoolable composite piping for oil, gas and water applications. The objective of this partnership are to determine an application envelope for lightweight fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite structures based on their durability and thermomechanical performance under different environmental aging and long-term loading conditions. Lightweight continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites have received significant attention over the last decade due to their specific properties, such as excellent corrosion resistance, high strength-to-weight ratio, practically unlimited shelf-life of raw materials, recyclability and low cost. Significant reduction in manufacturing costs by using a rapid and continuous fabrication process, and the ability of thermoplastic matrix composites to be recycled with relative ease are two main advantages of using thermoplastic matrix materials in this project over their thermosetting counterparts. The project is in collaboration with an industrial partner: Composite Production Systems at Shawcor. The project outcomes will be (i) an application envelope for the thermomechanical performance of commercial thermoplastic-based reinforced composite structures providing details about the limitations and long-term performance of such structures; (ii) augmentation of recyclable composites in the portfolio of the industrial partner aiding in business growth and job creation in Canada; (iii) an exceptional training program driven by scientific discovery through research on material behavior under adverse environmental conditions that can transcend sectors; and (iv) effective technology and knowledge transfer through short-term placements and workshops with the partner. The project will have an impact on (a) protecting the environment by advancing the use of recyclable materials; (b) augmenting the understanding of failure mechanisms in structural materials driven by advancements in multi-scale testing; (c) innovation in design and manufacturing of made-in-Canada products for oil/gas, water, and other industries that employ identical or similar materials (e.g., automotive) leading to job creation and economic growth. Each of the outcomes and impacts are important for Canada.