- Author
- Lennhoff, J. D.
- Title
- Novel Low Cost Fire Resistant Composite for VARTM. Final Report. December 18, 1999-June 17, 1999.
- Coporate
- Triton Systems, Inc., Chelmsford, MA
- Report
- TSI-2073-FR, July 29, 1999, 21 p.
- Distribution
- AVAILABLE FROM National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161. Telephone: 1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000; Fax: 703-605-6900. Website: http://www.ntis.gov
- Keywords
- phenolic resins | costs | composite materials | polymerization | flame resistance
- Identifiers
- polymer matrix composites; commercial off the shelf; reduced voids; Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM)
- Abstract
- Triton Systems has demonstrated, on a Phase I Program, a simple low cost modification of a commercial off the shelf phenolic resin that results in excellent fire resistance with low smoke evolution and improved mechanical properties over the unmodified phenolic. The 20% modified resin exhibits a three fold increase in flexural strength relative to the unmodified phenolic resin. The modified phenolic can bc processed using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and cured a1 low-temperature. Phenolic resins are known to have excellent fire/smoke/toxiicity characteristics and yet available at a modest price. However, phenolic resins are known to evolve water during crosslinking which product voids and as a consequence have poor mechanical properties. The modified phenolic cured via a proposed addition mechanism, which does not evolve water, and provides the observed improvement in mechanical properties. On the Proposed Phase II Program, Triton Systems will characterize the modification chemistry and composites fabricated from the modified resin. Scale up of the resin manufacture will be followed by delivery of resin samples to DD21 contractors for testing and qualification.