FIELD REPAIR OF ARMY HELICOPTERS USING CONDUCTIVE POLYMER AND COMPOSITE MATERIALS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP FIELD REPAIR TECHNIQUES FOR COMPOSITE HELICOPTER STRUCTURES OPERATED BY THE ARMY. THESE FIELD REPAIR TECHNIQUES MUST MAINTAIN STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BASE STRUCTURE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PROVIDING ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY. THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS ON DEVELOPING REPAIR TECHNIQUES WHICH USE INHERENTLY CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AND FILLERS TO ACHIEVE STRUCTGURAL REPAIR WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY. THE USE OF CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS PROVIDES THE POTENTIAL FOR ACHIEVING ARMY GOALS WITHOUT EXTENSIVE MODIFICATION OF EXISTING FIELD REPAIR APPROACHES. THE WORK PROPOSED INCLUDES A REVIEW OF CURRENTLY USED REPAIR TECHNIQUES, THE IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION OF CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS, CONDUCTIVE FILLERS, AND NONWOVEN AND FIBER MATERIALS WHICH CAN BE MADE COMPATIBLE WITH THE TYPES OF FIELD REPAIR TECHNIQUES CURRENTLY ENVISIONED. SUBSEQUENTLY, SEVERAL MATERIALS AND REPAIR PROCESSES WILL BE REFINED AND ONE SELECTED FOR FEASIBILITY RESEARCH IN PHASE I. FLAT PLATE AND SANDWICH PANELS WILL BE MADE, SOME DAMAGED AND REPAIRED, AND THE VIRGIN AND DAMAGED/REPAIRED PANELS TESTED TO ESTABLISH RESIDUAL STRENGTH, RF SHIELDING, AND OPTICAL TRANSMISSION. BY COMPARING UNDAMAGED WITH DAMAGED/REPAIRED PANELS, IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE TO WHAT EXTENT THE NEW CONDUCTIVE POLYMER MATERIALS AND REPAIR TECHNIQUES CAN MEET THE ARMY'S REQUIREMENTS.