Broadgoods for Improved Fatigue Performance Navy SBIR FY2015.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2015.1 Topic No.: N151-072 Topic Title: Broadgoods for Improved Fatigue Performance Proposal No.: N151-072-1034 Firm: Adherent Technologies, Inc. 5505 Foothills Canyon Road NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111 Contact: Jan-Michael Gosau Phone: (505) 346-1688 Abstract: Modern carbon-fiber reinforced composites are superior in strength-to-weight ratio over most metal alloy materials. One major problem, however, is the susceptibility of composites to micro fractures and fatigue failure. Because composites cannot be annealed to eliminate stress risers, great care has to be taken during manufacture to avoid creating such. The US Navy is soliciting proposals for new materials that allow composite manufacture using dry broadgood carbon fiber and resin infusion. Unfortunately, current broadgoods are assembled by stitching together unidirectional carbon fiber tows. Upon composite cure, the stitching material acts as stress risers and reduces the fatigue performance below acceptable levels. Adherent Technologies has studied alternative composite manufacturing techniques for two decades. ATI has developed a powder tow impregnation technology to produce prepreg material directly from dry powders, known as towpreg. Based on this approach, we now propose to manufacture unidirectional tapes using a low-percentage of powdered binder to produce a dry broadgood. The binder will be selected to either seamlessly blend into the resin during cure or act as a randomly distributed toughening agent. Both approaches will eliminate the need for stitching yarn or resin-rich areas. Benefits: Using broadgoods made via powder impregnation allows the use of non-autoclave curing processes like resin infusion while eliminating fatigue failure inducing stress risers. This improves the composite performance while at the same time lowering overall production cost. The technology is not only applicable to standard epoxy resin matrix composites but also to advanced materials based on BMI and other high-temperature resins. Variations could also be used in large part manufacture of low-cost vinyl ester composites. Return