Autoclave
Performance requirements: CAI vs. OHC
John Russell, who manages nonautoclave research programs for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio), recently threw down the gauntlet at the Fall SAMPE conference in Salt Lake City, Utah: “Give us a 25 percent improvement in notch properties with no microcracking in high-modulus fibers.” While OOA prepreg suppliers can’t do much about fiber microcracking, Advanced Composites Group (ACG, Tulsa, Okla.) already has announced that its XMTM47 material will be commercial by next year, designed for 120°C/248°F service with the increased notched performance requested.
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Out-of-autoclave prepregs: Hype or revolution?
Oven-cured, vacuum-bagged prepregs show promise in production primary structures.
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New filament to make composites "smart"
CW Conferences director Scott Stephenson premiers a showcase for new ideas overheard at CW Conferences.
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GKN A350 spar program update
Automated fiber placement to replace established tape laying/drape forming process for the composite rear spars on the new midsize commercial passenger jet.
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Double-bag infusion: 70% fiber volume?
A double vacuum-bag system and tight process control enable repeatable fiber volumes of 60 to 70 percent and improves consistency of infused laminates.
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Learjet 85 composite pressurized cabin a cost cutter
Single-piece carbon fiber composite structure selected over multipiece aluminum fuselage barrel section in new bizjet design.
Read MoreHigh-Performance Resins 2010 Highlights
Inaugural conference for the advanced resins research crowd updates formulators and processors on the latest developments.
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Medical applications: A healthy market
Composites make advances in devices for medical diagnosis and treatments that promote healing and help return patients to active lives.
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Structural armor or armored structures?
Either way, antiballistics engineers seek structural integrity and ballistic deterrence from a single design.
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