FLAMMABILITY SMOKE TOXICITY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTY CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT IS TO DEVELOP LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE MATERIALS WITH GREATLY IMPROVED FLAMMABILITY, SMOKE GENERATION, AND TOXIC FUME GENERATION (FST) PROPERTIES FOR USE IN NAVY SHIPBOARD APPLICATIONS. THE MATERIALS TO BE EVALUATED CONSIST OF GLASS AND CERAMIC REINFORCING FIBERS BLENDED WITH THERMOPLASTIC FIBERS TO FORM A HIGHLY CONFORMABLE MATERIAL 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. THE CERAMIC FIBERS OFFER EXCELLENT FIRE BARRIER PERFORMANCE AND ARE TO BE EVALUATED AS A PROTECTIVE SURFACE LAYER FOR GLASS FIBER COMPOSITES. PROCESS TRAILS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DEVELOP PARAMETERS FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF HIGH QUALITY LAMINATES FROM THESE HYBRID MATERIALS. PRELIMINARY MECHANICALPROPERTY DATA IS GENERATED FOR THE CANDIDATE MATERIALS AND COMPARED TO THE GLASS/PHENOLIC BASELINE. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF PHASE I THE DESIREABLE FST AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE THERMOPLASTIC MATRIX CERAMIC AND GLASS FIBER COMPOSITE MATERIALS WILL HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED.