PROJECT TITLE: X-Ray Cured Liquid Crystal Epoxy System
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Aspen Systems, Inc. proposes a program that develops a room temperature photoinitiated curing Liquid Crystal (LC) resin system. This resin system will be capable of curing in a wide variety of applications with little or no significant limitations on processing volumes or working times. The resin system will have applications in both wet and dry lay-up composite systems. Aspen's photon cured resin system initiates cross linking at temperatures well below Tg-, the glass transition temperature. The resulting composite materials produced using this curing method exhibit a high strength with improved damage tolerance and reliability. This resin system meets the challenge of producing a material that can be cured at room temperature while exhibiting high strength at elevated temperatures. We intend to develop and scale the production of the photon cured monomer to levels sufficient for prototype processing. After scaling of the resin system, we will test a statistically significant number of test coupons to demonstrate that this resin system has superior mechanical characteristics to conventionally cured resin systems. In Phase II, the program will focus on refining the resin composition and testing the resin system in representative fiber composite test coupons. The results of the Phase II program will be a fully optimized and characterized epoxy resin.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The successful program will result in a new molecularly reinforced resin matrix system. This resin will be for use in technical fiber composite systems. The resins will find a variety of applications in aerospace, marine and transportation industries.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Thomas M. Regan
Aspen Systems, Inc.
184 Cedar Hill Street
Marlborough , MA 01752
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
Aspen Systems, Inc.
184 Cedar Hill Street
Marlborough , MA 01752