Nondestructive Instrument to Determine Composite Surface Activation State in Manufacturing Environment

Composite surfaces are joined by adhesives to construct aircraft, sports cars and many other things. For the adhesive bonds to be strong and reliable, the bonding surface(s) of the composite must be prepared with care. This involves cleaning the surface and an appropriate activation process that decorates the bonding surface with active chemical radicals. In this Phase II effort, TRI Austin will leverage its successful Phase I program that demonstrated a noncontact process to perform a QA assessment of composite surface activation conditions and develop a engineering prototype that can objectively measure the degree of surface activation, regardless of how the surface is prepared. TRI’s Optically Stimulated Electron Emission (OSEE) method works on all composite surfaces and is independent of the method of activation.  In Phase II, TRI will design, test, calibrate and deliver a working prototype OSEE system to achieve the goal of a touch free, electronic method to objectively measure surface activation.  Results from the NDI methods will be correlated to maximum potential bond strength.  At the completion of the Phase II effort, TRI will demonstrate its prototype device at Spirit AeroSystems, a Tier 1 manufacturer of composite airframes.