Veritex(TM) Patches for Structural Repair and Re-Use

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) proposes to develop a bonded composite patch repair and re-use system based on CRG's VeritexTM materials. VeritexTM is a composite material consisting of common reinforcement fibers such as e-glass or carbon and one of CRG's shape memory polymers. VeritexTM is a fully-cured, stiff thermoset composite at most system operating temperatures, yet it can be made to be flexible by heating it above an activation temperature. This feature enables the use of VeritexTM as a composite patch system that is shape-adaptive and can be used for repair of many different types of structural members and/or for joining of structural members to assemble new systems. The development of a simplified patch repair and re-use system will enable effective and efficient structural material repair and system assembly that can be performed by humans as well as robots. This technology will require less material and energy resources than the current state-of-the-art for terrestrial bonded composite patch repair making it a desirable solution for current and future self-sufficient space systems. This repair and re-use technology could find immediate implementation on current NASA platforms such as the International Space Station and future implementation on platforms such as the lunar excursion vehicle.