A Low Cost Production Process for Large High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites

The prime objective of this Phase I project is the development of a cost-effective and reliable production method for fabrication of large carbon fiber reinforced polyimide composites. Eltron Research & Development Inc. (Eltron) and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will work together to successfully achieve this objective. Eltron has already developed a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process for production of high-temperature polyimide composites. SwRI has already developed process technologies and control algorithms for Intelligent Materials Processing (IMP), which combine real-time sensor information, kinetic, and transport models with an artificial intelligence (AI) control system to optimize the cure conditions of composite processing (otherwise known as adaptive cure processing). This partnership will combine complementary technologies that will result in the successful development of a low cost process for the production of large aerospace composite parts. Insurance of part quality will be determined by measuring key performance metrics including mechanical, rheological, thermal, kinetic, quality, and environmental endurance properties. During composite part production all experimental variables will be measured by Eltron and then provided to SWRI in support of their process modeling program.