Durability and thermomechanical performance evaluation of lightweight reinforced thermoplastic composites

该项目的动机是汽车和航空航天行业的运输系统对环保和可回收的复合材料结构、建筑行业的轻质复合材料面板以及石油、天然气和水应用的可缠绕复合材料管道的巨大需求。这一合作伙伴关系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加载条件下的耐久性和热机械性能来确定其应用范围。近十年来，轻质连续纤维增强热塑性复合材料因其优异的耐腐蚀性、高的强度比、几乎无限的原材料保质期、可回收利用和低成本等独特的性能而受到人们的广泛关注。通过使用快速和连续的制造工艺显著降低制造成本，以及相对容易地回收热塑性树脂基复合材料，这是该项目中使用热塑性树脂基材料相对于热固性树脂基材料的两个主要优势。该项目是与一个工业合作伙伴合作的：ShawCor的复合生产系统。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的应用封套，提供此类结构的限制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，以帮助加拿大的业务增长和创造就业机会；(Iii)通过研究可以跨越行业的恶劣环境条件下的材料行为，通过科学发现推动特殊培训计划；以及(Iv)通过与合作伙伴的短期安置和研讨会进行有效的技术和知识转让。该项目将对以下方面产生影响：(A)通过促进可回收材料的使用来保护环境；(B)由于多尺度测试的进步，加深对结构材料失效机理的了解；(C)为石油/天然气、水和其他使用相同或类似材料(如汽车)的行业创新设计和制造加拿大制造的产品，从而创造就业机会和促进经济增长。每一个结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.