Affordable, UV-Resistant Composite Materials for Military Shelters

This Phase I SBIR proposal is directed to develop a solution for the protection of composite materials against direct solar ultraviolet radiation exposure. The program will identify and develop existing and emerging materials and process solutions as wellas develop test and evaluation protocols. The primary focus of this project will be on the material systems that are of interest to the on-going Dept. of Defense (DoD) initiative to develop a familiy of composite tactical shelters. The material systemsinclude boththermoset composites (e.g, carbon-epoxy and glass-vinyl ester) as well as thermoplastic composites (e.g, glass-polypropylene and carbon-polycarbonate). The program will also focus on developing a rational UV testing methodology for composite materials. This work will directly benefit the current Dept. of Defense (DoD) initiative to develop and field a family of composite tactical shelters. The result of this research effort will be helpful in numerous commercial applications where the long-termdurability of composite materials is a critical issue.