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(Previously announced in STAR as N82-15198)
Annealing in nitrogen below the glass transition temperature T(g) is found to affect the matrix-dominated physical properties of postcured, (+ and -45)2s specimens of Thornel 300 carbon fiber/Fiberite 934 epoxy composite as well as neat Fiberite 934 epoxy resin. The damping behavior, stress-relaxation rate and enthalpic state of the matrix material are found to decrease as functions of annealing time. The time-dependent change in physical properties is explained on the basis of free-volume collapse related to the physical aging of the nonequilibrium glassy network of epoxy. Such physical aging in network epoxy has been demonstrated to be thermoreversible through the monitoring of its kinetics by differential scanning calorimetry, stress relaxation tests, and dynamic mechanical analysis.
An experimental program to develop test methods to be used to characterize interfacial (autohesive) strength development in polysulfone thermoplastic resin and graphite-polysulfone prepreg during processing is reported. Two test methods were used to examine interfacial strength development in neat resin samples. These included an interfacial tension test and a compact tension (CT) fracture toughness test. The interfacial tensile test proved to be very difficult to perform with a considerable amount of data scatter. Thus, the interfacial test was discarded in favor of the fracture toughness test. Interfacial strength development was observed by measuring the refracture toughness of precracked compact tension specimens that were rehealed at a given temperature and contact time. The measured refracture toughness was correlated with temperature and contact time. Interfacial strength development in graphite-polysulfone unidirectional composites was measured using a double cantilever beam (DCB) interlaminar fracture toughness test. The critical strain energy release rate of refractured composite specimens was measured as a function of healing temperature and contact time.
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This paper addresses the fracture resistance mechanism in fiber reinforced ceramics, and focuses attention on the specific effects associated with nonlinear nature of the fiber pullout mechanism. The model is based on a consideration of the representative boundary value problem typical for the bridging process. The theoretical solution includes an accurate account of the nonlinear fiber matrix friction. The developed approach allows consideration of several types of nonlinear fiber pullout-force dependence. The distinct features of the nonlinear process demonstrate that, contrary to the linear case, the universal fracture resistance curves cannot be developed in cases with significant nonlinear contribution in the fiber friction law. The resulting resistance curves depend strongly on the absolute values of the matrix fracture toughness. On the other hand, these distinct patterns may be used for identification of the particular friction law and determination of the friction parameters.
A prerequisite for full utilization of composite materials in aerospace components is accurate design and life prediction tools that enable the assessment of component performance and reliability. Such tools assist both structural analysts, who design and optimize structures composed of composite materials, and materials scientists who design and optimize the composite materials themselves. NASA Glenn Research Center's Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) software package (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/LPB/mac) addresses this need for composite design and life prediction tools by providing a widely applicable and accurate approach to modeling composite materials. Furthermore, MAC/GMC serves as a platform for incorporating new local models and capabilities that are under development at NASA, thus enabling these new capabilities to progress rapidly to a stage in which they can be employed by the code's end users.
Surface preparation is widely recognized as a key step to producing robust and predictable bonds in a precise and reproducible manner. Standard surface preparation techniques, including grit blasting, manual abrasion, and peel ply, can lack precision and reproducibility, which can lead to variation in surface properties and subsequent bonding performance. The use of a laser to ablate composite surface resin can provide an efficient, precise, and reproducible means of preparing composite surfaces for adhesive bonding. Advantages include elimination of physical waste (i.e., grit media and sacrificial peel ply layers that ultimately require disposal), reduction in process variability due to increased precision (e.g. increased reproducibility), and automation of surface preparation, all of which improve reliability and process control. This paper describes a Nd:YAG laser surface preparation technique for composite substrates and the mechanical performance and failure modes of bonded laminates thus prepared. Additionally, bonded specimens were aged in a hot, wet environment for approximately one year and subsequently mechanically tested. The results of a one year hygrothermal aging study will be presented.
What automated composite laminate manufacturing isWhy automation is of interest in science applicationsHow composite automation is being considered for science instrument applicationsAnd, about test data showing high stiffness materials processed with automation results in reduced material strength while stiffness and coefficient of thermal expansion are mostly unaffected.
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Numerous high-value applications within the energy sector involve environmental conditions that are incompatible with traditional sensor technology due to degradation of electrical interconnects, packaging, or the sensors themselves. These can include chemically harsh conditions, high temperature operation, or the presence of electromagnetic interference due to high voltage. The fiber optic platform, constructed of robust, electrically insulating glass or single crystal oxides, offers a versatile and often low cost per node solution to this problem, especially with the integration of distributed sensing techniques such as optical time-domain and frequency-domain reflectometry (OTDR, OFDR). A major challenge of gas and chemical sensing on the optical fiber platform is the fabrication of robust and stable sensing materials that interact quickly and reversibly to the presence of the target analytes. In this work, we discuss the utilization of nickel-incorporated oxides on evanescent-field optical fiber sensors for gas sensing under harsh conditions relevant to multiple energy infrastructure applications. This paper will discuss a Ni/GDC (Ni / Gd-doped ceria) based sensing layer targeting conditions relevant for high-temperature (up to at least 800oC) hydrogen sensing applications (e.g., for operation within a solid oxide fuel cell or electrolyzer). The impact of hydrogen at elevated temperatures on the optical properties of Ni/GDC will be shown and the material mechanisms for the optical response will be discussed.
Monolithic silicon carbide and silicon nitride and a Nicalon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite were subjected to severe thermal shock conditions via impingement of a hydrogen-oxygen flame. Surface heating rates of 1000 C/sec to 2500 C/sec were generated. The performance of the monolithic reference materials are compared and contrasted to the significantly greater thermal shock resistance of the composite. Ultrasonic and radiographic NDE techniques were used to evaluate the integrity of the composite subsequent to thermal shock. Tensile tests were performed to determine the residual tensile strength and modulus. Physical property changes are discussed as a function of number and severity of thermal shock cycles.
Monolithic silicon carbide and silicon nitride and a Nicalon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite were subjected to severe thermal shock conditions via impingement of a hydrogen-oxygen flame. Surface heating rates of 1000 C/sec to 2500 C/sec were generated. The performance of the monolithic reference materials are compared and contrasted to the significantly greater thermal shock resistance of the composite. Ultrasonic and radiographic NDE techniques were used to evaluate the integrity of the composite subsequent to thermal shock. Tensile tests were performed to determine the residual tensile strength and modulus. Physical property changes are discussed as a function of number and severity of thermal shock cycles.
Because of their increasing utilization in structural applications, the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of advanced fiber reinforced polymer composites continues to receive considerable research and development attention. Due to the heterogeneous nature of composites, the form of defects is often very different from a metal and fracture mechanisms are more complex. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview and technology assessment of the current state-of-the-art with respect to NDE of advanced fiber reinforced polymer composites.
A computational simulation procedure is presented for nonlinear analyses which incorporates microstress redistribution due to progressive fracture in ceramic matrix composites. This procedure facilitates an accurate simulation of the stress-strain behavior of ceramic matrix composites up to failure. The nonlinearity in the material behavior is accounted for at the constituent (fiber/matrix/interphase) level. This computational procedure is a part of recent upgrades to CEMCAN (Ceramic Matrix Composite Analyzer) computer code. The fiber substructuring technique in CEMCAN is used to monitor the damage initiation and progression as the load increases. The room-temperature tensile stress-strain curves for SiC fiber reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride (RBSN) matrix unidirectional and angle-ply laminates are simulated and compared with experimentally observed stress-strain behavior. Comparison between the predicted stress/strain behavior and experimental stress/strain curves is good. Collectively the results demonstrate that CEMCAN computer code provides the user with an effective computational tool to simulate the behavior of ceramic matrix composites.