Damage Tolerance Evaluation of PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone) Composites: Final Report

摘要

A polyether ether ketone (PEEK) thermoplastic system is currently being evaluated in flight service as a structural element for the US Air Force C-130 transport plane. The particular structure under study is the C-130 belly skin, a fuselage panel that is located on the underside of the aircraft and is subjected to impact from runway debris. A current Air Force objective is to reduce maintenance and replacement requirements of aircraft using lightweight composite structures to replace or supplement existing metal alloy components. The incorporation of lighter weight composite structures would result in aircraft weight reductions, allowing greater range and fuel economy. The impact-damage susceptibility of composite structures often results in strain-limited application of composite materials where the mechanical properties' advantages over traditional metal alloys are not attained. Methods developed to enhance the damage tolerance of composite material systems should increase their potential uses in existing and future aircraft. A materials evaluation program was conducted to determine the possible benefits of interleaving thermoplastic film layers between the plies of a PEEK/graphite composite material system to produce a material system with increased resistance to impact damage. Several laminate designs incorporating PEEK thermoplastic film as an interleaf material were subjected to impacts of various energies and projectile velocities. Mechanical properties of unimpacted, open-hole, and impacted laminate panels were measured to determine the effectiveness of the interleaf concept for improving damage tolerance relative to the existing baseline material. 5 refs., 19 figs., 8 tabs. (ERA citation 14:013176)