Side lateral Engine Mount

Polysufide sealants work well in rivets/fasteners for Naval aricraft, providing sealing and corrosion prevention functions, but their installation is problematic. The labor and waste hazardous materials associated with mixing the sealant are costly andtime consuming. Systems and Materials Research (SMRC) proposes to develop a one-part polysulfide (1K-PS) nanocomposite sealant that activates with the pressure of installation. A nano-putty, containing environmentally friendly anti-corrosion additives,will be formed from COTS 1K-PS liquid by blending in nano-clays and polymeric thickeners. The nano-putty is an uncured state that will be encapsulated to prevent premature cure. The 1K-PS encapsulated nano-putty will be formed into collars and assembledonto the rivet. A full scale demonstration will be conducted at the end of Phase I on a 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum sheet test bed. SMRC has formed a Phase I alliance with a large aircraft fastners company as technical consultant and potential Phase IIIlicensee for self-seal rivets. Southwest Texas State Univeristy, a leader in nanocomposite reserach, will provide subcontract research services, and full access to an 8500 square foot state-of-the- art materials development laboratory. Acommericalization plan will be prepared in Phase I that will center on development of a licensing agreement with the Phase I commerical partner rivet manufacturer.The labor and time savings of a self-seal rivet design makes this a very attrractivecommerical product. In addition to the cost savings in manufacture and maintenance, the 1K-PS nanocomposite self seal rivet will virtually eliminate hazardous waste volume while improving the reliability of the rivet seal. This improvement comes fromstandardizing the amount of sealant applied, and the improved sealing function that results from using a nano-clay constituent. Commericalization will be appraoched through licensing the technology to rivet manufacturing companies, with the SMRC Phase Icommercial partner as the first licensing target.