Investigation of Reinforced Thermoplastics for Naval Aircraft Structural Application.
Abstract
The program was conducted in three phases. Phase I, which constituted the major portion of the effort, concentrated on studying 181 style glass fabric reinforced thermoplastic laminates. Phase II investigated the practicality of using graphite reinforcements rather than glass fabric, and finally, Phase III investigated potential methods of production and the cost impact of this concept on component manufacture. It was demonstrated in the program that reinforced thermoplastic laminates could perform competitively with epoxy glass fabric laminates and result in a potentially lower cost production material. The materials were compared on a basis of mechanical properties, environ-mental resistance and electrical properties. The tests included creep, fatigue and impacts. None of the tests conducted showed deficiencies which would preclude their use in aircraft structure. The polysulfone polymer, P-1700, exhibits a possible temperature of 300F, while the phenoxy polymer, PKH-1 appears satisfactory for 165F SERVICE. Processing studies showed that the thermoplastic materials could result in substantial manufacturing cost savings through reduced processing time, lower scrappage rate and lower material costs. Cost savings of 35 to 70% were projected for various aircraft components. (Author, modified-PL)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0763470
Entities
People
- John T. Hoggatt
Organizations
- Boeing