Carbon Microfiber Airframe Structures Based on an Insect Cuticle Model

Carbon fiber reinforced organic matrix composites can be used to fabricate very high specific strength and stiffness aerospace structures, but current manufacturing methods for organic matrix composites are limited by their extremely labor intensive nature. There exists a need for conformable high performance material forms to move away from the conventional approach of building structures from highly isotropic elastic laminae. To overcome these limitations, the proposed effort is aimed at exploiting more recent modeling and manufacturing techniques to produce simulated biological composites; products of the fabricator-par-excellence, i.e. Nature.This work is aimed at modeling, manufacturing and testing a novel composite structure simulating insect cuticle. The new material would combine high strength and stiffness with greatly enhanced drapability, lower stress concentrations, and greater fracture toughness than existing materials. This combination of properties will allow the manufacture from the material of complex integral structures, surpassing anything that is possible with current materials technology. Foster-Miller will team with Hexcel to accomplish the goals of this program. (P-01665)