NOVEL PRECURSOR YARN FOR ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

COMPOSITE MATERIALS ARE GAINING WIDER ACCEPTANCE IN BOTH HIGH PERFORMANCE USES SUCH AS DEFENSE/AEROSPACE HARDWARE AND COMMERCIAL, LOW COST USES SUCH AS AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND SPORTING GOODS PRODUCTS. THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR USES OF COMPOSITES REQUIRE LOW COST CONSTITUENTS AND RAPID PROCESSING. THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY HAS RELIED ON COMPRESSION MOLDING, INJECTION MOLDING INCLUDING RIM, AND RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING AS PROCESSES WHICH OFFER A HIGH PRODUCTION RATE. SECONDARY STRUCTURE COMPONENTS SUCH AS HOODS, BUMPERS, AND FENDERS ARE MANUFACTURED BY COMPRESSION MOLDING A SHEET MOLDING COMPOUND WHILE SMALLER OR MORE COMPLEX PARTS ARE MADE BY INJECTION MOLDING OR TRANSFER MOLDING. IN ORDER TO INTRODUCE COMPOSITES INTO STIFFNESS CRITICAL OR OTHERWISE HIGHLY LOADED PRIMARY STRUCTURE, HOWEVER, A RAPIDLY PROCESSED, ALIGNED FIBER PREFORM MUST BE DEVELOPED. THIS PHASE I PROGRAM PRESENTS A NOVEL YARN CONCEPT TO ADDRESS THIS NEED. THE FOUR PHASE I TASKS INCLUDE CONSTITUENT IDENTIFICATION, YARN FABRICATION WITH A PROTOTYPE APPARATUS, MOLDING TRIALS, AND ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL. NATURALLY DERIVED AND RECYCLED CONSTITUENTS ARE EMPHASIZED. PEPIN ASSOCIATES, INC. IS SUPPORTED BY TWO HIGHLY QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS IN PHASE I. THEY WILL ASSIST IN CONSTITUENT IDENTIFICATION AND CONTROL OF FIBER/MATRIX INTERFACE AS WELL AS ASSESSMENT OF THE CONCEPT'S POTENTIAL FOR AUTOMOTIVE PRIMARY STRUCTURES. THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL BUILD UPON PHASE I AND WILL INCLUDE PARTICIPATION OF A MAJOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY PARTNER.