COMPOSITE MATERIALS TREATMENT TO IMPROVE ABRASION RESISTANCE - NEW RESIN SYSTEMS

THE RAIN AND SAND EROSIONS OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS IN THE HELICOPTER STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN WELL KNOWN. THE RECENT EXPERIENCE DURING THE DESERT STORM OPERATIONS SHOWED SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES IN THE USE OF EXISTING PROTECTION SYSTEMS. THIS AUTHOR PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE SEVERAL NEW RESIN SYSTGEMS WHICH HAVE DEMONSTDRATED EXCELLENT ABRASION RESISTANCE IN OTHER APPLICATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, A LONG RUN LITHORGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATE MAY ENDURE UP TO ONE MILLION IMPRESSIONS WITHOUT FAILURE, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS FULL OF WATER AND GREASY INKS. IT IS ALSO B EING SHEAR ABRADED AT VERY HIGH SPEED ON A HIGH SPEED PRINTING PRESS. AS FOR DENTAL COMPOSITES, THE MATERIALS NEED TO ENDURE DAILY CHEWING, AND GRINDING IN A VERY MOIST ORAL ENVIRONMENT. THUS, THE MATERIALS THAT SURVIVED THE ABOVE TWO APPLICATIONS HAVE VERY GOOD CHANCE OF BEING HYDROLYTICALLY STABLE AND HIGHLY ABRASION RESISTANT. THIS AUTHOR HAS PERSONALLY WITNESSED SOME OF THE MOST ABRASION RESISTANT MATERIALS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE TECHNOLOGIES USED IN THE ABOVED- MENTIONED MATERIALS CAN BE EASILY CONVERTED FOR USE IN IMPROVING THE ABRASION RESISTANCE OF THE HELICOPTER COMPOSITE MATERIALS. SPECIFICALLY, A NEW CLASS OF POLYMERIZABLE URETHANE-MODIFIED CELLULOSE ESTER WILL BE EVALUATED WITH OTHER MODIFYING INGREDIENTS TO ACHIEVE THE EXTREMELY HIGH ABRASION RESISTANCE NEEDED.