TINEY – Pre-Preg Out of Autoclave Processing

Carbon fiber composites are increasingly being used in aerospace applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratios. Currently, resin pre-impregnated fabrics (pre-pregs) require cold storage which is not amenable to O-level repairs. Additionally, composite curing is performed in vacuum sealed bags in an autoclave or through a double vacuum debulk procedure. These processes require specialty equipment and are costly in both energy and time, further limiting repair feasibility. Current pre-pregs do not meet the Navy’s desired requirements for cure temperature, storage, and cure conditions. As such, Lynntech is developing innovative specialty materials to overcome limitations associated with storage while simultaneously reducing porosity during cure, thus increasing the strength of layered composites when cured outside of an autoclave. It is the intent of these speciality materials to fabricate a pre-preg capable of reducing the time, cost, and materiel associated with composite repair for improved system readiness.