In-Field Repair Procedure for Fiber-Reinforced Composite Structures (MSC P4276)

The application of fiber reinforced composite materials into Army vehicle and structural platforms has generated a significant amount of research in recent years with the enhanced structural performance of the materials resulting in significant weight savings. One technical barrier inhibiting the insertion of these materials into service is the lack of well-defined repair methods for composites. Army Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) have tasked the small business community to develop repeatable, high-quality, insitu repair methods that maximize the life of these high-performance composite components and structures while minimizing the out-of-service time. Materials Sciences Corporation (MSC) will develop the necessary technical data for high-performance, Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) prepreg systems that may be processed in a wide range of operational environments using vacuum bag consolidation and elevated temperature cure cycles. MSC will leverage their experience in establishing OoA material processing standards for large-scale marine structures as well as their comprehensive composite damage/repair knowledgebase to evaluate material systems and establish processing procedures that lay the foundation for the development of high-performance Composite Repair Kits which may be utilized throughout the Army.Furthermore, MSC and their composite manufacturing partner Seemann Composites Inc. (SCI) will develop classifications of repair for a given construction and associated internal loads.