CHARACTERIZATION OF A ROOM TEMPERATURE INFUSION, HIGH TG, NO-OVEN, NO-AUTOCLAVE CURING EPOXY RESIN FOR AUTOMATED COMPOSITE FABRICATION

摘要

A room temperature, low viscosity (100 cps @ 25°C), high Tg (194°C), no-oven, no-autoclave (NONA) curing epoxy resin was characterized for use in liquid molding of large composite structures for future NASA launch vehicles. Mechanical testing was performed on neat resin samples and compared to other NONA systems as well as state of the art infusion resins. Rheology was also performed on the neat resin mixture to understand the effect of time and temperature on viscosity, cure shrinkage, and Tg. Commercial dry carbon preforms were infused to demonstrate infusion of laminates at room temperature. Panels were cured either with the NONA curing process or with a room temperature initial cure to determine cured ply thickness, porosity, and resin content. The summary of results show good potential for the resin's usage to enable low cost infusion-processed composites with high Tg, high toughness, and fast cure cycles. In addition, this work sets the stage for infusion of dry preforms made using automated fiber placement and automated tape laying processes, ultimately reducing the cost of large scale composites through low cost materials and processing.