RAPID NONDESTRUCTIVE DETERMINATION OF RESIN/FIBER CONTENT IN COMPOSITES

THE ADVENT OF FIBER REINFORCED COMPOSITES HAS MADE AVAILABLE NEW STRUCTURAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN MILITARY HARDWARE. IN PARTICULAR, ARMOR PANELS MADE FROM FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTICS PROVIDE STRENGTH TO WEIGHT RATIOS SIGNIFICANTLY SUPERIOR TO THOSE MADE FROM METAL PLATE. THESE NEW MATERIALS ARE CRITICAL FOR MAXIMIZING THE PERFORMANCE OF MODER MILITARY ARTICLES SUCH AS HIGH SPEED TANKS AND TROOP CARRIERS. THE PREFORMANCE OF THESE COMPOSITES DEPENDS STRONGLY ON THE RATIO OF FIBER TO RESIN. PRESENTLY, RADIATION MONITORING DEVICES, INC. DEVELOPED A NONDESTRUCTIVE NUCLEAR MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE TO DETERMINE THE GLASS CONTENT OF REINFORCED PLASTICS FOR THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. THIS METHOD IS BOTH ACCURATE AND RAPID, AND HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE QUALITY OF THE COMPOSITES IN SEVERAL APPLICATIONS. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCCESSFULLY EXTENDING THIS NEW APPROACH TO THE CRITICAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PROCESS CONTROL REQUIREMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF THICK, HEAVILY REINFORCED ARMOR PLATE. BY THE END OF THE PHASE I - PHASE II PROGRAM, A WORKING PROTOTYPE INSTRUMENT WILL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND MADE READY FOR FIELD TESTING AT RELEVANT FACILITIES.