Both the Deep Skirt and Advanced Skirt System material used on Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) experience significant wear during normal operations, which require expensive, time-consuming maintenance repairs. The US Navy is looking for innovative new material and manufacturing method for skirt systems to improve it durability and reduces Total Ownership Cost (TOC). Rubber skirts experience two modes of periodic motions, stick-slip oscillation and micro-vibration generated during frictional slidings of rubber. Liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) fiber, such as para-aramid fiber Kevlar and polyarylate, is known for its high tensile strength =25g/d that is 5 times of nylon fiber, high cut resistant and vibration damping properties. By placing a small amount of expensive LCP fiber on the surface would protect from stick-slip oscillation and micro-vibration to reduce surface abrasion. Kubota Research Associates has demonstrated abrasion resistant on a vinyl ester hard composite surface in the NAVY SBIR N091-047 title; Innovative Weight Reduction Concepts for Unmanned Surface Vehicles. We propose the development of a co-vulcanized 2 layers composite structure, which is a nylon fabric reinforced Neoprene laminate layer and small amount of LCP fiber doped Neoprene elastic composite thin layer that would greatly extend the life with minimum cost of the skirt.
Benefit: Development of a co-vulcanization manufacturing and repair method for LCP integrated multilayer laminate can allow quick and inexpensive reinforcement for abrasion resistant parts. Therefore, this manufacturing and repair method of abrasion resistant rubber and the material has significant benefits and commercial value for both military and civilian applications. This technology can greatly benefit the transportation, renewable energy, medical, and energy industries. This technology would expand engineering freedom by allowing localized additions and bonding, integration of similar and dis-similar material into the structure without the need for mechanical fasteners or additional adhesives. This portable rapid repair process and system can reduce the TOC and fleet readiness by quick repair of equipment, which improves warfighter survivability. Electronics and medical equipment manufacturers are manufacturing goods in a cleanroom and fight against dusts but rubber conveyer belt abrade and produces dusts in a cleanroom to reduce the yield. Kubota Research will commercialize anti-abrasion coating solution with IR assisted portable rapid vulcanizing system for both military and civil industries. This US-developed technology will also benefits students and researchers at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials, who will participate in research and training on this program.
Keywords: rubber, rubber, soft composite, LCP, crosslink, devulcanize, covalucanize, dispersion coating, Abrasion resist
