High Performance Structural Fibers For Advanced Polymer Matrix Composites

Military use of advanced polymer matrix composites (PMC)â€"consisting of a resin matrix reinforced by high-performance carbon or organic fibersâ€"while extensive, accounts for less that 10 percent of the domestic market. Nevertheless, advanced composites are expected to play an even greater role in future military systems, and DOD will continue to require access to reliable sources of affordable, high-performance fibers including commercial materials and manufacturing processes. As a result of these forecasts, DOD requested the NRC to assess the challenges and opportunities associated with advanced PMCs with emphasis on high-performance fibers. This report provides an assessment of fiber technology and industries, a discussion of R&D opportunities for DOD, and recommendations about accelerating technology transition, reducing costs, and improving understanding of design methodology and promising technologies.

Military use of advanced polymer matrix composites (PMC)â€"consisting of a resin matrix reinforced by high-performance carbon or organic fibersâ€"while extensive, accounts for less that 10 percent of the domestic market. Nevertheless, advanced composites are expected to play an even greater role in future military systems, and DOD will continue to require access to reliable sources of affordable, high-performance fibers including commercial materials and manufacturing processes. As a result of these forecasts, DOD requested the NRC to assess the challenges and opportunities associated with advanced PMCs with emphasis on high-performance fibers. This report provides an assessment of fiber technology and industries, a discussion of R&D opportunities for DOD, and recommendations about accelerating technology transition, reducing costs, and improving understanding of design methodology and promising technologies.

This book deals with all aspects of advanced composite materials; what they are, where they are used, how they are made, their properties, how they are designed and analyzed, and how they perform in-service. It covers both continuous and discontinuous fiber composites fabricated from polymer, metal, and ceramic matrices, with an emphasis on continuous fiber polymer matrix composites.

Polymer matrix composites are finding increasing number of applications due to their high weight-saving potential as well as unique characteristics, such as high strength-to-density ratio, fatigue resistance, high damping factor, and freedom from corrosion. While many textbooks are available on the mechanics of polymer matrix composites, few cover their processing.Processing of Polymer Matrix Composites fills this gap. The book focuses on the major manufacturing processes used for polymer matrix composites and describes process details, process parameters and their effects on properties and process-induced defects, and analytical and experimental methods used for understanding process conditions. The book describes fibers, thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers, and interface characteristics that are important from the standpoint of both design and processing. It also emphasizes the applications of process fundamentals for both continuous fiber and short fiber polymer matrix composites. In addition the book considers quality inspection methods, tooling, and manufacturing costs and environmental and safety issues.

Structure and Properties of High-Performance Fibers explores the relationship between the structure and properties of a wide range of high-performance fibers. Part I covers high-performance inorganic fibers, including glasses and ceramics, plus carbon fibers of various types. In Part II, high-performance synthetic polymer fibers are discussed, while Part III reviews those natural fibers that can be used to create advanced textiles. The high-performance properties of these fibers are related to their chemistry and morphology, as well as the ways in which they are synthesized and spun. High-performance fibers form the basis of textile materials with applications in protection, medicine, and composite reinforcement. Fibers are selected for these technical applications due to their advanced physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Offers up-to-date coverage of new and advanced materials for the fiber and textile industries Reviews structure-property relationships of high-performance inorganic, carbon, synthetic polymer, and natural fibers Includes contributions from an international team of authors edited by an expert in the field Reviews those natural fibers that can be used to create advanced textiles

This book is one of six titles in a coherent and definitive series of volumes dedicated to advanced composite materials research, development and usage in the former Soviet Union. Much of the information presented has been classified until recently. Thus each volume provides a unique insight into hitherto unknown research and development data. The book gives the basic principles used to develop high-strength, high-modulus polymer composites and considers a wide spectrum of parameters associated with such a task. After discussing types of matrix materials, the book progresses to the development and production of fibrous composites, their structure-property relationships, hybrid composite materials and finally the development of these materials in applications such as the aerospace industry. Polymer Matrix Composites will be of interest to anyone engaged in research and development in composite materials science and technology, both in industry and universities.

High performance synthetic fibers are key components of composite materialsâ€"a class of materials vital for U.S. military technology and for the civilian economy. This book addresses the major research and development opportunities for present and future structural composite applications and identifies steps that could be taken to accelerate the commercialization of this critical fiber technology in the United States. The book stresses the need for redesigning university curricula to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of fiber science and technology. It also urges much greater government and industry cooperation in support of academic instruction and research and development in fiber-related disciplines.