Production and Repair of Pultruded Glass and Graphite Composite Sandwich Panels Using UV - and E-Beam cured Resins

Radiation-cured resins offer a number of potential advantages over the thermally-activated resins more commonly used in the fabrication of composite structures. KaZak Composites proposes a two-part program in which we will investigate the application of UV-and Electron-Beam cured resins to two different technologies related to composite ISO shelters.First, the team will develop and demonstrate technology required in a field repair kit for the damaged composite sandwich panels used to construct ISO shelters. One of our program partners, Science Research Lboratory, already makes resins and field repair kits for composite aircraft.Second, KCI will study and demonstrate the application of radiation-cured resins for the pultrusion of very wide (>10') composite sandwich panels. KCI is currently building an 8x8x20 foot composite ISO using the world's largest pultrusion machine, developed under a separate Phase II SBIR. We project major tooling cost savings by using radiation-cured resin. KCI will test both the demonstrated radiation-cured pultruded composite parts during the Phase I Option.During Phase II we plan to apply radiation cure for 10' wide panels, and to develop a fieldable repair kit based on the same resins.