Thermoset Resin Development for In Situ Fiber Placement

Fiber placement is a technique developed for fabrication of thermoplastic matrix composite structures, but it has been applied to layup of complex thermoset composite structures which are difficult to produce using other methods. It has been used successfully to produce several such structures, eliminating or minimizing problems such as fiber waviness (or marcelling), fiber shifting, resin migration, disbonds and voids. Currently, however, successful use of this technique for thick parts depends upon repeated debulking during fiber placement, and a lengthy autoclave cure cycle is required after fiber placement is completed. Foster-Miller proposes to modify commercial thermoplastic toughened prepreg tape to eliminate these debulking and autoclave cure requirements. A combination of staging, preconsolidation and creation of a highly reactive surface will be employed to produce a prepreg tape capable of full in-situ cure during fiber placement. Foster-Miller has formed a team with aircraft primes Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin to realize development of this low cost fabrication process. The Phase I program will culminate in the use of this modified prepreg for in-situ cure during fiber placement of a representative composite subcomponent during the optional task.