Development of a Low Cost Process to Provide Improved Carbon Fiber-Vinyl Ester Adhesion

Duke & Associates will develop a process/material modification for carbon fiber/vinyl ester composite materials which will provide enhanced fiber-matrix adhesion using a low cost, room temperature process such as resin transfer molding (RTM) or vacuum assisted RTM to manufacture high performance composite structures. The program goal is to increase the fiber to matrix strength to that of carbon epoxy or the strength of the matrix. Dr. Larry Drzal of Michigan State University, who has ongoing work for the automotive industry on this topic, will be a subcontractor on this SBIR. Zoltek, who markets a low cost, large tow carbon fiber, will support the work in this SBIR and will incorporate in their product line enhancements in carbon fiber sizing/processing. The Dow Chemical Company will also support the work in this SBIR and assist in commercialization of the technology. In Phase I we will explore alternate ways of improving bond strength between carbon fiber and vinylester resins, and downselect a method for development in Phase II based on experimental evaluation of competing methods. In Phase II we will scale up this process, demonstrate its enhanced properties experimentally, and fabricate a large primary structure demonstration component.