SBIR-STTR Award

Shipboard structures employing composites typically use glass/vinyl ester (VE) manufactured with vacuum assisted RTM. This composite system offers reduced weight, no corrosion and improved signature performance but lacks the fire performance characteristics required for shipboard use. Phenolic resins (PH) provide outstanding fire performance but are difficult to process and offer lower structural properties. No existing single resin system can meet all of the requirements in a given application for Naval shipboard structures. The co-injection resin transfer molding (CIRTM) process was developed by the University of Delaware and the Army Research Laboratory to simultaneously inject two (or more) resins into a dry composite preform maintaining discrete layers of resin through the thickness of the preform. Using CIRTM, a phenolic surface layer may be incorporated with a vinyl ester resin in a single composite part, improving fire performance while maintaining the cost, processing and structural advantages of the vinyl ester. Through this program, preliminary property characterization of fire-hard CIRTM components will be accomplished through the fabrication of 2'x2' test panels. In addition, we will demonstrate that the benefits of the CIRTM process can be scaled up for realistic Naval structural applications. In Phase II a half scale deck house will be fabricated.

Benefits:
The demonstration of the CIRTM process to incorporate fire barrier layers in large VARTM structures at low cost will open this technology to various new applications. Commercial opportunities exist in marine, off-shore oil platforms, aircraft interior structures, flight simulator cabins, land transportation, and any application where flame resistant performance is critical.

Keywords:
VARTM fiberglass phenolic fire CIRTM deckhouse composite

Shipboard structures employing composites typically use glass/vinyl ester manufactured with vacuum assisted RTM. This ocmposite system offers corrosion free performance, reduced weight, and improved signature performance but lacks fire resistant characteristics required for shipboard use. Phenolic resins provide outstanding fire performance but are difficult to press and offer lower structural properties. The co-injection resin transfer molding (CIRTM) process was developed by the University of Delaware and the Army Research Laboratory to simultaneously inject two resins into a dry composite preform while maintaining discrete layers of resin through the thickness. Using CIRTM, a phenolic surface layer may be incorporated with a vinyl ester resin in a single composite part, improving fire performance and retaining the cost, processing and structural advantages of the vinyl ester. During Phase I, Anholt demonstrated the potential to scale this technology up to manufacture large structures. This Phase II effor twill expand on the technology gained in Phase I and apply it to a full scale flame test structure through a combination of material technology development & optimization, process control & inspection, and manufacturing process scale-up.

Benefits:
The demonstration of the CIRTM process to incorporate fire barrier layers in large VARTM structures at low cost will open this technology to various new applications. Commercial opportunities exist in marine, offshore oil platforms, infrastructures and any area where flame resistant performance is critical.

Keywords:
FST VARTM Composite Phenolic Vinyl Ester Topside Structure Flame Resistant