Ambient Temperature Cure Composite for Corrosion-Resistant HMMWV Field Repair Patch

U.S. Marine Corps High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) are equipped with heat-treated aluminum body panels that cannot be welded and must be repaired by riveting-on sheet metal patches, a process requiring power tools available only at a maintenance facility. During battle, this might require that damaged HMMWVs be removed from the field when they are most needed! Foster-Miller proposed to develop a new type of HMMWV body panel repair patch - the ambient temperature cure hole repair patch (ATCHRP) - that can be applied in the field at room temperature using simple hand tools and cured on-site within hours to product a durable, adherent composite patch that matches the strength, toughness and CTE properties of the surrounding metal. Our approach combines five enabling technologies to produce a field repair kit that is ideal for patching body panels on Marine Cops and commercial vehicles. These key technologies include corrosion-inhibitors, adhesion-promoters, ambient temperature cure hydrocarbon resins, composite processing and CTE control. The field kit can be tailored for repair of aluminum, composite and/or steel vehicle body panels. In Phase I, we will develop ATCHRP formulation, produce patched sheet metal test panels and analyze samples for key performance properties.