Epoxy Resins with Reduced Viscoelastic Relaxation

The payloads of current space launch systems, e.g. rockets, are constrained to a small size due to aerodynamic, weight, and cost limitations. Deployable structures allow for a folded or stowed configuration during launch and deployment at the mission location. Polymer composites have shown both high...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNASA STI Repository (NTRS)
Main Authors Peterson, Ray S, Brandenburg, Charlotte J, Hinkley, Jeffrey A, Gordon, Keith L, Thibeault, Sheila A, Jin Ho Kang
Format Web Resource
LanguageEnglish
Published Hampton NASA/Langley Research Center 01.01.2022
Subjects
Epoxy resins
Launch vehicles
Payloads
Polymer matrix composites
Polymers
Resins
Rockets
Stress relaxation
Weight reduction
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Summary:The payloads of current space launch systems, e.g. rockets, are constrained to a small size due to aerodynamic, weight, and cost limitations. Deployable structures allow for a folded or stowed configuration during launch and deployment at the mission location. Polymer composites have shown both high weight savings over current metallic structure, as well as improved specific mechanical strengths overall. One issue encountered with polymer composite deployables, however, is stress relaxation of the polymer matrix in the stowed configuration. In this study, a range of different epoxy formulations were evaluated as potential matrix resins for deployable composites. A new multifunctional epoxy resin with a fortifying additive is predicted to show 70% less stress relaxation after 1 year as compared to a state-of-the-art aerospace epoxy matrix.
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