SBIR Phase I: Lightweight Composites for Aerospace Applications

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将测试通过将独特的高模量聚丙烯纤维掺入混合复合材料中含有碳纤维的织物中，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。 对用于当今航空航天应用的复合材料的要求是显著的，并且包括1）耐溶剂性，2）热循环耐久性，3）经受紫外线暴露的能力，以及轻质、上级模量和强度。虽然已知耐溶剂性和耐紫外线暴露性对于聚丙烯纤维是良好的，但热循环耐久性预期会造成重大的技术障碍，为了利用通过制造这两种性能纤维的混合物而可能的物理性质，必须克服这些技术障碍。 根据该SBIR进行的研究将通过制造树脂相容的高模量聚丙烯纱线来解决这个问题，该纱线可以与碳一起编织成具有低重量，高模量，良好抗冲击性的混合结构，此外还满足航空航天工业的其他需求。

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.