Aerospace industry composites

Graphite Carbon Manufacturing Aerospace Industrial Composites Fuel Cell Components Carbon Fibers Composite Materials Fine-Grain Graphites Wind Turbine Blades... 

In wide sectors of industry there is a growing need of inspection methods which go without liquid coupling media. The excitation of bulk and surface waves by means of air-coupled ultrasonic probes is therefore an attractive tool for NDE. This is tme e.g. for the rapid scanning of large composite structures in the aerospace industry [1]. In other cases, the use of liquid couplants is prohibitive like the thickness measurement of powder layers. 

Boron Trichloride. Approximately 75—95% of the BCl consumed iu the United States is used to prepare boron filaments by CVD (7). These high performance fibers are used to reinforce composite materials (qv) made from epoxy resius and metals (Al, Ti). The principal markets for such composites are aerospace industries and sports equipment manufacturers. 

Eor more demanding uses at higher temperatures, for example, in aircraft and aerospace and certain electrical and electronic appHcations, multifunctional epoxy resin systems based on epoxy novolac resins and the tetraglycidyl amine of methylenedianiline are used. The tetraglycidyl amine of methylenedianiline is currently the epoxy resin most often used in advance composites. Tetraglycidyl methylenedianiline [28768-32-3] (TGALDA) cured with diamino diphenyl sulfone [80-08-0] (DDS) was the first system to meet the performance requirements of the aerospace industry and is still used extensively. 

Anodic alumina oxides find steadily growing application in various spheres of technology. Traditionally, they are most popular in civil industrial engineering for producing protective and decorative surface finish in panels and different objects. These applications are well reviewed in the literature.321 Anodic alumina is also widely used in the aircraft and aerospace industry for adhesive bonding of aluminum structures,322-324 composite materials, etc. 

CNF is an industrially produced derivative of carbon formed by the decomposition and graphitization of rich organic carbon polymers (Fig. 14.3). The most common precursor is polyacrylonitrile (PAN), as it yields high tensile and compressive strength fibers that have high resistance to corrosion, creep and fatigue. For these reasons, the fibers are widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries [1], Carbon fiber is an important ingredient of carbon composite materials, which are used in fuel cell construction, particularly in gas-diffusion layers where the fibers are woven to form a type of carbon cloth. 

Adhesives and sealers can be an important part of a total corrosion protection system. Structural bonding procedures and adhesives for aluminum, polymer composites, and titanium are well established in the aerospace industry. Structural bonding of steel is gaining increasing prominence in the appliance and automotive industries. The durability of adhesive bonds has been discussed by a number of authors (see, e.g., 85). The effects of aggressive environments on adhesive bonds are of particular concern. Minford ( ) has presented a comparative evaluation of aluminum joints in salt water exposure Smith ( ) has discussed steel-epoxy bond endurance under hydrothermal stress Drain et al. (8 ) and Dodiuk et al. (8 ) have presented results on the effects of water on performance of various adhesive/substrate combinations. In this volume, the durability of adhesive bonds in the presence of water and in corrosive environments is discussed by Matienzo et al., Gosselin, and Holubka et al. The effects of aggressive environments on adhesively bonded steel structures have a number of features in common with their effects on coated steel, but the mechanical requirements placed on adhesive bonds add an additional level of complication. 

Propellant compositions are also used in numerous "gas generator" devices, where the production of gas pressure is used to drive pistons, trigger switches, eject pilots from aircraft, and perform an assortment of other critical functions. The military and the aerospace industry use many of these items, which can be designed to function rapidly and can be initiated remotely. 

Following this initial period of polyimide development, interest reached a steady-state and remained there until the late 1970s. During this time a major impetus to the polyimide area was provided by the aerospace industry. The need for composite matrix resins as well as structural adhesives with excellent oxidative and thermal stability appeared to be at least partially met by polyimide type resins. Ultimately, requirements of high flow and low void content in relatively thick parts directed these efforts into different directions. Another upswing occurred in the early 1980s with the potential application of... 

Perhaps the biggest thrust for the development of high performance polymers over the next 10 years will be in the aerospace industry where materials will be required for a fleet of high speed civil transports (supersonic transports). At a speed of Mach 2.4, an aircraft surface temperature of about 150 to 180°C will be generated. The life requirement of materials at these temperatures will be about 60000 hours. Many different types of materials such as adhesives, composite matrices, fuel tank sealants, finishes and windows will be needed. These materials must exhibit a favorable combination of processability, performance and price. The potential market for these materials total several billions of US dollars. 

A growing specialty application for acrylonitrile is in the manufacture of carbon fibres. These are produced by pyrolysis of oriented polyacrylonitrile fibres and are used to reinforce composites for high-performance applications in the aircraft, defence and aerospace industries. Other minor specialty applications of acrylonitrile are in the production of fatty amines, ion exchange resins and fatty amine amides used in cosmetics, adhesives, corrosion inhibitors and water-treatment resins (Brazdil, 1991). 

Engineering thermoplastics have also been used in preimpregnated constructions. The thermoplastic is thoroughly dispersed as a continuous phase in glass, other resins, carbon fibers (qv), or other reinforcement. Articles can be produced from these constructions using thermoforming techniques. For example, the aerospace industry uses polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in woven carbon-fiber tapes (26). Experimental uses of other composite constructions have been reported (27) (see also COMPOSITE MATERIALS, POLYMER-MATRIX). 

Harmonic number (h) refers to the individual frequency elements that comprise a composite waveform. For example, h = 5 refers to the fifth harmonic component with a frequency equal to five times the fundamental frequency. If the fundamental frequency is 60 Hz, then the fifth harmonic frequency is 5 x 60, or 300 Hz. The harmonic number 6 is a component with a frequency of 360 Hz. Dealing with harmonic numbers and not with harmonic frequencies is done for two reasons. The fundamental frequency varies among individual countries and applications. The fundamental frequency in the U.S. is 60 Hz, whereas in Europe and many Asian countries it is 50 Hz. Also, some applications use frequencies other than 50 or 60 Hz for example, 400 Hz is a common frequency in the aerospace industry, while some AC systems for electric traction use 25 Hz as the frequency. The inverter part of an AC adjustable speed drive can operate at any frequency between zero and its full rated maximum frequency, and the fundamental frequency then becomes the frequency at which the motor is operating. The use of harmonic numbers allows us to simplify how we express harmonics. The second reason for using harmonic numbers is the simplification realized in performing mathematical operations involving harmonics. 

---