FLAMMABILITY SMOKE AND TOXICITY CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR SUBMARINE USE

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT IS TO ASSESS LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH GREATLY IMPROVED FLAMMABILITY, SMOKE GENERATION, AND TOXIC FUME GENERATION (FST) PROPERTIES FOR USE IN NAVY INTERNAL SUBMARINE APPLICATIONS. THE MATERIALS TO BE EVALUATED CONSIST OF GLASS REINFORCING FIBERS BLENDED IN A THERMOPLASTIC MATRIX WITH PRECISE FIBER/RESIN VOLUME FRACTION CONTROL. THE THERMOPLASTIC (TP) RESINS TO BE EVALUATED OFFER SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FST PERFORMANCE WHEN COMPARED TO EPOXY AND POLYESTER THERMOSET RESINS. EXTENSIVE PRELIMINARY FST DATA IS GENERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH NAVY DRAFT MILITARY STANDARD, "FIRE AND TOXICITY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPOSITE MATERIALS USED IN NULL, MACHINERY AND STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS INSIDE NAVAL SUBMARINES" FOR THE CANDIDATE MATERIALS AND COMPARED TO A GLASS/PHENOLIC BASELINE. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF PHASE I, THE DESIREABLE FST PROPERTIES OF THERMOPLASTIC MATRIX GLASS FIBER COMPOSITE MATERIALS WILL HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED.