Novel Composite Materials for the Mfg of Functionally Graded Structures

Due to increasing quality demands place on military and civilian structures, novel materials such as composites are finding increased use in high performance applications. A rapid growth area for composite materials is for the next generation of missile systems where composites provide significant advantages. Lightweight, high-strength composite structures provide increased velocity and enhanced maneuverability. Composites respond less violently to hazardous stimuli, and thus pose less risk in transportation and storage. However, the use of composite materials has not come without both processing difficulties and cost. To overcome these deficiencies, R&S, in conjunction with Virginia Tech, proposes to design, analyze, fabricate, and test novel, low-cost functionally graded composite structures for a multitude of applications. Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed novel processing methods using thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer (TLCP)reinforcement fibers that enable extrusion of composite fiber in a simple, rapid fabrication approach. Processes have been developed for generating both layered materials which have different functionalities and microcomposite materials based on thermoplastics reinforced with micron size TLCP fibrils (1). F&S and Dr. Donald Baird at the Chemical Engineering Department of Virginia Tech propose a comprehensive plan to commercialize a novel thermoplastic composite approach for fabricating functionally graded components.