Non-Autoclave Composite Systems for Submerged Marine Components

Composite structures for submarines require high strength and high fracture toughness to survive underwater shock blasts. These structures have historically been built using rubber-toughened epoxy pre-impregnated (pre-pregs) reinforcements. However, experience has shown that pre-pregs can be difficult to work with, especially for thick section parts, and require expensive, size-limited, autoclave curing. The opportunity described in this proposal is the demonstration of relatively low cost alternatives to pre-preg/autoclave fabrication for submarine composite hardware. A combination of design and analysis, materials development, and manufacturing process development is required for the phase II effort. The proposed team members are experts in their respective fields, and have successfully demonstrated their combined capability on numerous advanced composites programs for military applications.