High Temperature Powder Structural Damping

Not Available This Phase I SBIR project combines the processing capabilities of a resin permeable fiber reinforced foam (FRF) core and a unique vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process. The proposed VARTM system does not use a distribution medium and therefore eliminates the labor and waste associated with traditional VARTM processes. A series of laminates and sandwich panels with FRF and balsa cores will be molded. Structural testing will be performed on the panels to determine their bending and compression properties. Additionally, resin flow studies will be conducted to characterize resin flow front progression. A large sandwich panel representative of a Navy ship topside structure or a vehicular bridge deck will be molded to demonstrate the scalability of the process. Valuable information will be gained about the cost and technical challenges associated with molding large cored composite structures.