TITANIUM FOIL REPAIR: AN ACCELERATED FIELD REPAIR METHOD FOR COMPOSITE AEROSPACE VEHICLES

摘要

Research for carbon fiber has been of high demand ever since the aerospace industry took an interest in composite materials. One of the biggest problems with carbon fiber is the methods for repair. Current methods for repair without an oven or autoclave include wet lay-ups, and repair techniques using prepreg materials and curing equipment such as heat bonders and heat lamps. All of the above mentioned repair techniques require time to allow for resin curing. The purpose for the following research is to develop a new repair method that will restore the full functional ability of an aerospace vehicle with a shorter repair time. The United States Marine Corps specified that the repair will need to be performed in combat situations by personnel with minimum training. The new method described in this paper utilizes Titanium foil and an acrylic-epoxy adhesive. Titanium is used for the research due to its high tensile strength and the absence of corrosion when mated with carbon fiber. The results prove that the method will be a suitable repair technique for repairing composite aircraft structures.