Dynamic Chemistry for Resin Transfer Molding Composites
Abstract
The project is a fundamentally new approach to resin design for RTM and similar out-of- autoclave processes. The resins should be designed to (1) have viscosity that adapts autonomously to fill the local pore structure and (2) to have triggerable stress relaxation before removal from the mold in order to increase part quality by reducing spring-in and residual stress. A multiphysics modeling, simulation, and experimental approach will be taken to investigate the utilization of dynamic bonding in RTM composite processing. Specifically, the focus is on mechanochemical approaches for improving composite fill, and photo- and thermo-driven dynamic bond approaches for reducing residual stresses. The research plan is composed of three complimentary objectives- (1) Establish and validate a suite of constitutive models for triggerable dynamic bonding polymers in their resin-viscous and matrix-solid states. (2) Discover how triggerable dynamic bonding can be used to decrease the sensitivity of the RTM mold filling process to the details of the mold and preform. (3) Discover how triggerable dynamic bonding can be used to alleviate residual stress in polymer matrix composites formed via RTM while they are still in the mold.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210030
Entities
People
- Meredith N Silberstein
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Cornell University
- United States Air Force