Process engineering of glass-sealed sensors

纤维增强环氧复合材料的前沿技术使用高压（0.6 MPa）和高温（200 C）高压釜环境，实现纤维和聚合物基体之间的快速均匀整合。 Convergent Manufacturing Technologies，Inc.是此类组件的工艺开发和建模领域的世界领先者。必须将多个传感器插入高压灭菌器中以监测过程，其中连接馈电线目前用环氧树脂密封件密封;此类密封件面临固化应变、相对于金属外壳的不同热膨胀/收缩，因此在高达0.6 MPa和200 C的热和压力循环下变得不可靠。这项研究将开发专业知识，以取代环氧树脂密封与玻璃密封，提供显着更高的工作温度（例如，在某些情况下高达600 ℃），耐腐蚀性，密封稳定性，经验没有固化应变，其热膨胀系数可以匹配的金属外壳在几个%。这种稳定的、能够升高温度/压力的密封将允许在几乎完美可再现的环境中适当地监测复合材料部件的固化过程，具有长期的热机械稳定性。

The leading-edge technology for fiber-reinforced epoxy composites uses elevated pressure (0.6 MPa) and temperature (200 C) autoclave environment to achieve rapid and homogenous integration between the fibers and the polymer matrix. Convergent Manufacturing Technologies, Inc., is a world leader in process development and modeling for such components. A number of sensors must be inserted into the autoclave in order to monitor the process, with the connection feed-throughs currently sealed with epoxy seals; such seals face curing strain, differential thermal expansion/contraction vs the metallic housing, and thus become unreliable under thermal & pressure cycling of up to 0.6 MPa and 200 C. This research will develop expertise to replace the epoxy seals with glass seals which offer significantly higher operating temperatures (e.g. up to 600C in some cases), corrosion resistance, seal stability, experience no curing strain, and their thermal expansion coefficient can match that of the metal housing within few %. Such stable, elevated-temperature/pressure capable seal will allow to properly monitor the composite parts curing process in nearly-perfectly reproducible environment, with long-term thermo-mechanical stability.