Optimal Composite Materials using NASA Resins or POSS Nanoparticle Modifications for Low Cost Fabrication of Large Composite Aerospace Structures

Reduced mass composite materials are crucial to the success of aerospace systems, but their adoption is inhibited because they require autoclave consolidation, a process that is prohibitively expensive for large aerospace structure. To remedy this, NASA-LaRC has been developing cost-effective high-performance thermoplastic composite processing equipment that enables out-of-autoclave tape placement. In particular, NASA is working with Accudyne Systems to install a heated in situ deposition placement head to fit on NASA-LaRC's placement machine. This SBIR is to create the optimal composite material feedstock to go hand-in-hand with the thermoplastic process equipment so as to create desirable mechanical and physical properties in a part with out-of-autoclave in-situ placement. Accudyne Systems will define the matrix resin and fabricate thermoplastic tape to create the ideal in situ processible material. The first approach will be to proveout a fully amorphous composite based upon NASA 8515. This avoids the undesirable kinetics of a semi-crystalline thermoplastic like PEEK. The second approach will be to use POSS nanoparticles in semi-crystalline PEEK to accelerate crystallinity to the short time scale of the in situ process. The best options will be commercialized to allow NASA and aerospace primes to fabricate low-cost large composite structure for air and space transport.