This STTR Phase I proposal is intended to develop an innovative concept to fabricate lightweight and strong, fiber-reinforced foam (FRF) cored sandwich structures using liquid molding processes, such as resin transfer molding (RTM) or resin infusion molding. The Phase I work involves a feasibility study to design and fabricate a flat FRF cored sandwich panel that is suitable for liquid molding process and has the necessary weight, strength and stiffness properties required for a military transport aircraft wing cover application. The sandwich panel will be subjected to various tests such as shear, compression, tension, flexure and impact under ambient as well as hot/wet conditions. The FRF core is a closed-cell, polymeric foam core, reinforced with orthogonal gridwork of webs which are made of fabrics of advanced fibers. These porous fabric webs greatly facilitate resin flow during molding and once cured, the webs act as structural members and significantly improve the strength and stiffness of the sandwich panel. The FRF core technology in conjunction with liquid molding processes holds enormous potential to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost of high-performance composite structures.
Keywords: SANDWICH FIBER CORE COMPOSITE FOAM STRUCTURE
