Efficient On-Aircraft Composite Repair Process Requiring Minimal Support Equipment

During the Phase II effort, TRI/Austin will continue development work on a new composite matrix resin technology that will streamline composite repair processes on aircraft and other vehicles. The approach could potentially transform additional composite fabrication areas. The majority of high performance thermoset resins have two-components and require thermal curing to achieve acceptable properties. The resin system developed by TRI/Austin can be supplied as a one component system that can be cure at ambient temperatures. Without postcure the resin will provide a glass transition temperature in excess of 350 oF (177 oC). The implications of this development are significant in terms of the ease of use and elimination of procedural steps. While the resin system was developed specifically for vacuum bagging, it is expected to be viable for other composite fabrication methods including resin transfer molding (RTM) and vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). The resin system can be cured at ambient temperatures in approximately one hour. However if higher cure speed are desired it can also be cured thermally.