TRANS-LAMINAR REINFORCEMENT OF ORGANIC MATRIX COMPOSITES

COMPOSITE LAMINATES MADE FROM CONVENTIONAL EPOXY PREPREGS ARE PRONE TO DELAMINATION DUE TO IMPACT OR EDGE EFFECTS. SOME MEANS OF IMPROVING COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AFTER IMPACT IS DESIRED. STITCHING IS ONE OPTION, BUT CAUSES DAMAGE TO IN-PLANE PROPERTIES (STRENGTH, MODULUS). THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE UTILIZES STAPLES TO CONTROL DELAMINATION. DAMAGE TO IN-PLANE PROPERTIES WILL BE MINIMIZED BY VIBRATION OF THE LAMINATE DURING STAPLE INSERTION. VIBRATION IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE RESIN VISCOSITY AND FIBER DAMAGE. PREVENTING POLYMERIZATION OF THE RESIN FOLLOWING VIBRATION IS CRITICAL. THE PROPOSED PHASE I EFFORT CONSISTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE STAPLING DEVICE, AND DEMONSTRATION OF IMPROVED DELAMINATION RESISTANCE AND REDUCED DAMAGE TO IN-PLANE FIBERS.