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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

3D Printed Ceramic Reinforced Polymer Composites Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

In Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing a part is made by extruding material layer by layer. Benefits of FFF are the ability to print complex shapes quickly and at a lower cost compared to other manufacturing methods. In this work, filaments composed of either silicon carbide (SiC) or zirconium silicate ceramic particulates in a polylactic-acid (PLA) matrix were used to print specimens for microstructural analysis and mechanical testing. Pure PLA samples were also printed and tested as a baseline for comparison. A Design of Experiments approach was used to test the interactions between three different parameters and their effect on ultimate strength, Young’s modulus, and yield strength. For compression test specimens, these parameters were infill percentage, number of shells, and print orientation angle. For tensile test specimens, the parameters were layer height, number of shells, and infill orientation angle. Pre- and post-compression test samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy for microstructural analysis. Infill percentage had the greatest effect on mechanical properties while number of shells and print orientation angle had minor effects. When changing the layer lines from perpendicular to parallel, relative to the loading direction, SiC-PLA had higher mechanical properties while pure PLA properties had decreased, and zirconium silicate-PLA had mix results.

Fused filament fabrication↗
NASA NTRS1985

Tough composite materials: Recent developments

The present volume broadly considers topics in composite fracture toughness and impact behavior characterization, composite system constituent properties and their interrelationships, and matrix systems' synthesis and characterization. Attention is given to the characterization of interlaminar crack growth in composites by means of the double cantilever beam specimen, the characterization of delamination resistance in toughened resin composites, the effect of impact damage and open holes on the compressive strength of tough resin/high strain fiber laminates, the effect of matrix and fiber properties on compression failure mechanisms and impact resistance, the relation of toughened neat resin properties to advanced composite mechanical properties, and constituent and composite properties' relationships in thermosetting matrices. Also treated are the effect of cross-link density on the toughening mechanism of elastomer-modified epoxies, the chemistry of fiber/resin interfaces, novel carbon fibers and their properties, the development of a heterogeneous laminating resin, solvent-resistant thermoplastics, NASA Lewis research in advanced composites, and opportunities for the application of composites in commercial aircraft transport structures.

Vosteen, L. F.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Development of a material property database on selected ceramic matrix composite materials

Ceramic Matrix Composites, with fiber/whisker/particulate reinforcement, possess the attractive properties of ceramics such as high melting temperature, high strength and stiffness at high temperature, low density, excellent environmental resistance, combined with improved toughness and mechanical reliability. These unique properties have made these composites an enabling technology for thermomechanically demanding applications in high temperature, high stress and aggressive environments. On a broader scale, CMC's are anticipated to be applicable in aircraft propulsion, space propulsion, power and structures, in addition to ground based applications. However, it is also true that for any serious commitment of the material toward any of the intended critical thermo-mechanical applications to materialize, vigorous research has to be conducted for a thorough understanding of the mechanical and thermal behavior of CMC's. The high technology of CMC'S is far from being mature. In view of this growing need for CMC data, researchers all over the world have found themselves drawn into the characterization of CMC's such as C/SiC, SiC/SiC, SiC/Al203, SiC/Glass, SiC/C, SiC/Blackglas. A significant amount of data has been generated by the industries, national laboratories and educational institutions in the United States of America. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center intends to collect the 'pedigreed' CMC data and store those in a CMC database within MAPTIS (Materials and Processes Technical Information System). The task of compilation of the CMC database is a monumental one and requires efforts in various directions. The project started in the form of a summer faculty fellowship in 1994 and has spilled into the months that followed and into the summer faculty fellowship of 1995 and has the prospect of continuing into the future for a healthy growth, which of course depends to a large extent on how fast CMC data are generated. The 10-week long summer fellowship has concentrated, basically, on establishing the procedure for a smooth transfer of data into a CMC database on MAPTIS which is a vital part of the following broader picture of the project.

Mahanta, Kamala↗
NASA NTRS2001

Automated Tow Placed LaRC(TM)-PETI-5 Composites

LaRC(TM)-PETI-5 is a PhenylEthynyl-Terminated Imide resin developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) during the 1990s. It offers a combination of attractive composite and adhesive properties. IM7/LaRC(TM)-PETI-5 composites exhibit thermal and thermo-oxidative stability typical of polyimides, superior chemical resistance and processability, excellent mechanical properties, toughness and damage tolerance. It was selected for study in the High Speed Research program aimed at developing technologies for a future supersonic aircraft, the High Speed Civil Transport, with a projected life span of 60 000 h at a cruise speed up to Mach 2.4. Robust autoclave processing cycles for LaRC(TM)-PETI-5 composites have been thoroughly designed and demonstrated, which involved hand lay-up of solvent-ladened 'wet' prepregs. However, this type of processing is not only costly but also environmentally unfriendly. Volatile management and shrinkage could become serious problems in the fabrication of large complex airframe structural subcomponents. Robotic tow placement technology utilizing 'dry' material forms represents a new fabrication process which overcomes these deficiencies. This work evaluates and compares mechanical properties of composites fabricated by heated head automated tow placement (dry process) with those obtained by hand lay-up/autoclave fabrication (wet process). Thermal and rheological properties of the robotically as-placed uncured composites were measured. A post-cure cycle was designed due to the requirement of the PETI-5 resin for a 370 C/1 h hold to reach full cure, conditions which cannot be duplicated during heated head robotic placement. Mechanical properties such as 0 degree flexural strength and modulus, open hole tensile and compressive strength and moduli, reduced section compression dogbone compressive strength, and modified zippora-medium small (MZ-MS) tensile and compressive properties were obtained on the post-cured panels. These properties compared favourably with those obtained from the wet process.

Hou, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Modulus, strength and thermal exposure studies of FP-Al2O3/aluminum and FP-Al2O3/magnesium composites

The mechanical properties of FP-Al2O3 fiber reinforced composites prepared by liquid infiltration techniques are improved. A strengthening addition, magnesium, was incorporated with the aluminum-lithium matrix alloy usually selected for these composites because of its good wetting characteristics. This ternary composite, FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li-(3-5)Mg, showed improved transverse strength compared with FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li composites. The lower axial strengths found for the FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li-(3-5)Mg composites were attributed to fabrication related defects. Another technique was the use of Ti/B coated FP-Al2O3 fibers in the composites. This coating is readily wet by molten aluminum and permitted the use of more conventional aluminum alloys in the composites. However, the anticipated improvements in the axial and transverse strengths were not obtained due to poor bonding between the fiber coating and the matrix. A third approach studied to improve the strengths of FP-Al2O3 reinforced composites was the use of magnesium alloys as matrix materials. While these alloys wet fibers satisfactorily, the result indicated that the magnesium alloy composites used offered no axial strength or modulus advantage over FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li composites.

Bhatt, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Ductility of a continuous fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite

The transverse properties of an aluminum alloy metal matrix composite reinforced by continuous alumina fibers have been investigated. The composite is subjected to both mechanical and cyclic thermal loading. The ductility can vary by an order of magnitude according to the operating conditions. For high mechanical and low thermal loading the ductility is small, for low mechanical and high thermal loading the ductility is an order of magnitude higher. Experiments on a beam in bending confirm that the ductility is strongly dependent on the loading conditions. The observations suggest a means of utilizing the inherent ductility of the matrix.

Jansson, S.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Melt-infiltrated Sic Composites for Gas Turbine Engine Applications

SiC-SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) manufactured by the slurry -cast melt-infiltration (MI) process are leading candidates for many hot-section turbine engine components. A collaborative program between Goodrich Corporation and NASA-Glenn Research Center is aimed at determining and optimizing woven SiC/SiC CMC performance and reliability. A variety of composites with different fiber types, interphases and matrix compositions have been fabricated and evaluated. Particular focus of this program is on the development of interphase systems that will result in improved intermediate temperature stressed-oxidation properties of this composite system. The effect of the different composite variations on composite properties is discussed and, where appropriate, comparisons made to properties that have been generated under NASA's Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program.

Morscher, Gregory N.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Polymeric Additives For Graphite/Epoxy Composites

Report describes experimental studies of properties of several graphite/epoxy composites containing polymeric additives as flexibilizing or toughening agents. Emphasizes effects of brominated polymeric additives (BPA's) with or without carboxy-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubber. Reviews effects of individual and combined additives on fracture toughnesses, environmental stabilities, hot/wet strengths, thermomechanical behaviors, and other mechanical properties of composites.

Kourtides, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Stress Dependence of Ultrasonic Velocity in Unidirectional Graphite/Epoxy Composites for Longitudinal Waves Propagating Along the Direction of Stress

The first measurements of the stress induced velocity changes for propagation directions along the direction of applied stress in gr/ep composites have been presented. For propagation and stress direction perpendicular to the fiber direction, the data demonstrated a linear relation between normalized velocity shift and stress. After corrections for the delay line were made, the slope or SAC was determined and compared favorably with the expected value calculated from the previously determined nonlinear coefficients of this material. The ratio of the SAC to the elastic compliance for this direction of loading was evaluated and found to have a value similar to numerous other materials which have very different linear elastic properties. Measurements with stress and propagation along the fibers yielded unusual behavior. The curves were very nonlinear and even shifted direction at higher loads. The large scatter in the data due to bond variations made separation of material effects from bond induced artifacts impossible. Thus the SAC, R, and the remaining two unknown TOEC's could not be determined for this direction of propagation. These measurements further expand the basis of determining nonlinear elastic properties of composite materials. These properties may be useful in developing much needed NDE techniques to determine such important parameters as residual stress after cure and residual strength after impact damage. Additional study is needed to measure the nonlinear behavior in other composite materials including angle ply laminates. Also, other techniques to measure elastic nonlinearity such as harmonic generation should be applied to composites to improve the understanding of these properties and their importance.

Prosser, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Fiber-metal composites

Law-of-mixtures relationship applied to fiber-metal composites - Determination of yield strengths, tensile strengths, and other properties of composites

FIBER↗
NASA NTRS1995

Tensile Behavior of Al2o3/feal + B and Al2o3/fecraly Composites

The feasibility of Al2O3/FeAl + B and Al2O3/FeCrAlY composites for high-temperature applications was assessed. The major emphasis was on tensile behavior of both the monolithics and composites from 298 to 1100 K. However, the study also included determining the chemical compatibility of the composites, measuring the interfacial shear strengths, and investigating the effect of processing on the strength of the single-crystal Al2O3 fibers. The interfacial shear strengths were low for Al203/FeAl + B and moderate to high for Al203/FeCrAlY. The difference in interfacial bond strengths between the two systems affected the tensile behavior of the composites. The strength of the Al203 fiber was significantly degraded after composite processing for both composite systems and resulted in poor composite tensile properties. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) values of the composites could generally be predicted with either rule of mixtures (ROM) calculations or existing models when using the strength of the etched-out fiber. The Al2O3/FeAl + B composite system was determined to be unfeasible due to poor interfacial shear strengths and a large mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). Development of the Al2O3/FeCrAlY system would require an effective diffusion barrier to minimize the fiber strength degradation during processing and elevated temperature service.

Draper, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Property changes of a graphite/epoxy composite exposed to nonionizing space parameters

A study has been made of the changes in the mass, thickness and flexural properties of initially wet and dry specimens of graphite/epoxy composite material due to the equivalent of eight weeks of exposure to nonionizing space environmental parameters. The parameters were near and middle solar UV irradiance, high vacuum, and temperature. The flexural properties were not affected by the exposures. Changes occurred to the mass, dimensions, and surface morphology of the specimens which varied with individual and combined parameter exposures. The combined UV and elevated thermal environment had synergistic effects on the properties of the specimens.

Phelps, H. R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Game-Theoretic Modeling of Vegetation Composition, Structure, and Dynamics: Physical Constraints, Fundamental Processes, and Emergent Properties

Vegetation structural and compositional dynamics emerge from plant physiological and demographic processes, individual-based competition, vegetation-soil feedbacks, and environmental variations and disturbance events. Predicting long-term changes in vegetation requires scaling plant individual behavior to large scale ecosystem processes. In this presentation, we summarize our studies in the modeling of vegetation demographic processes, competitively dominant plant traits, plant hydraulic processes, and stochastic disturbance effects on ecosystems, and illustrate the roles of the underlying ecological processes and eco-evolutionary optimization in vegetation modeling. With the case studies of evolutionarily stable strategy of allocation, leaf traits, and plant hydraulic processes, we show how the ecosystem processes and vegetation dynamics are determined by the individual-based plant competition and variations of soil and climate conditions. The predictions of ecosystem carbon dynamics can be greatly different with those from the traditional “single-tree” models. We also discuss the tradeoffs of plant traits and evolutionarily optimal strategies in the modeling of terrestrial ecosystem dynamics in an Earth system model.

vegetation models↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Structural Carbon Nanotube Development

Mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at the nanoscale suggest their potential to enable significantly lighter structures of interest in aerospace applications. As different formats of the material became available over the last 20 years, understanding of how CNTs contribute to improvements in mechanical properties of structural composites has evolved.Although the material is now available in large quantities that permit the development of composite fabrication processes, the retention of properties that make these materials attractive on the nano scale remains a challenge in large assemblies of CNTs. The work to be presented will summarize lessons learned in our efforts to produce carbon nanotube composites with tensile properties that begin to rival those of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites. Challenges that need to be overcome for practical adoption of this emerging material system will be considered.

Carbon nanotube↗