NASA SBIR 00-1 SOLICITATION
FORM 9B - PROJECT SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER 00-1 03.06-8709 (Chron: 001292 )
PROJECT TITLE
In-Situ Monitoring of Cure Kinetics of E Beam Curable Epoxy
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The detailed nature of the curing reaction in E Beam curable composites matrix resins and adhesives is not well understood. Dose rate and location in a part can have a considerable, but as yet unmeasured, effect on the properties of the cured part. In addition, significant heat may be generated in the resin due to the exothermic nature of the cure reaction, and the effects of exothermic heating on temperature and cure kinetics have not been quantified. Obtaining a better understanding of the cure kinetics of these systems has been identified as critical to their use in aerospace applications, especially in the case of in-situ curing during fiber or tape placement. The use of laboratory FTIR has been demonstrated as a valuable tool in the study of E Beam resin cure kinetics, although conventional FTIR is not capable of monitoring the cure reactions in real time, or in actual composite structures. Foster-Miller has developed an unmatched capability for in-situ FTIR cure monitoring, and has assembled a team from industry and academia to apply it to the study of E Beam cure kinetics. This technology also has potential applicability to E Beam curable cationic photoinitiated epoxies, acrylates and bismaleimides (BMI's). (P-00829)
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The potential commercial applicability of E Beam curing is widely recognized, and it is being evaluated for many applications, including curing of Z pins. E-Beam curing offers the potential for dramatically lowering costs over conventional thermal curing by decreasing cure temperature and time, as well as tooling cost and complexity, but resins with excellent mechanical and thermal properties are required for high performance applications. The ability to understand and control the nature and rate of E Beam curing will make it possible to use this technology for many aerospace applications where cost and weight reduction are critical factors. NASA is currently funding development of an apparatus for in-situ E Beam cure during tape placement, but it is widely recognized that a good understanding of cure kinetics is critical to the success of this approach. The specific applications which have been identified for this technology include the large scale fuel tanks for RLV and similar space vehicles, JSF structures and manufacture and repair of a wide range of composite structures for commercial aircraft.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Dr. Margaret Roylance
Foster-Miller, Inc.
350 Second Ave.
Waltham , MA 02451 - 1196
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Foster-Miller, Inc.
350 Second Ave.
Waltham , MA 02451 - 1196