ADVANCED AEROSPACE COMPOSITES USING AN AROMATIC THERMOSETTING COPOLYESTER MATRIX - IMPROVED THERMAL FATIGUE

摘要

The potential superiority of ATSP (aromatic thermosetting copolyester) matrices compared to conventional epoxies for aerospace composites is discussed. Preparation and characterization of carbon fiber/ATSP composites are described. In this paper, we demonstrate that ATSP oligomers display liquid crystalline behavior which was identified using optical microscopy with cross-polarizers. We also describe how ATSP tailored to have a liquid crystalline structure has reduced stresses at the fiber/matrix interface and better thermal fatigue resistance compared to epoxy.