Professional Documents
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R&D Objective
To develop and implement continuous and chopped
fiber reinforced composites for structural
components and systems with better strength,
serviceability, durability and cost-effectiveness
FRP Design
Fabric reinforcements (Glass, Carbon, Aramid, PP)
Resin / Matrix (Thermoplastics and thermosets)
Thermoplastic Resins
Characteristics:
Soften, melt and flow upon heating, e.g., HDPE, PP, PC, ABS
Advantages:
Unlimited shelf life
Easy to handle (no tackiness)
Recyclable
Postformable
Higher fracture toughness than epoxy
Disadvantages:
Lower creep resistance than thermosets
High viscosity ~ 1,000,000 cP
PP
Thermoset Resins
Characteristics:
Liquid resin gets cured into crosslinked network structure that
will not melt upon reheating, e.g. Polyester, Epoxy, Vinyl ester,
Urethane, Phenolics
Advantages:
Lower resin viscosity (~20 500cP)
Better fiber wet-out
Better creep resistance
Excellent thermal stability after cure
Disadvantages:
Brittle (low strain-at-break)
Limited storage life at room temperature
Non-recyclable via standard techniques
Molding in the shape of a final part
Polyester
Hand lay-up
Compression molding
Pultrusion
Injection molding
Filament winding
Hand Lay-up
Used for
large diameter structure;
custom shapes like
asymmetric shapes;
bonding two or more modules.
Compression Molding
For thermosets or thermoplastics. The
process consisting of placing a charge
in the mold, which is subsequently
closed and held at a high pressure, and
then heating the mold to initiate cure
reaction.
Available with CFC:
PHI hydraulic presses with electrically
heated platens and water cooling
30 and 50 ton capacity
Platen size: 12.5"x18.5"
0
Max mold temp: 315 C
Two-stage hydraulic pump
Pultrusion Process
A highly automated production process that continuously draws resinimpregnated fiber reinforcements, at speeds ranging from 1 to 5 feet
per minute, through a heated die which forms and cures to the desired
cross-section with no part length limitation. Pultrusion produces:
4high strength structural shapes
4with High volume reinforcements
4at moderate tooling and capital equipment cost.
Pultrusion Machine
Vacuum-Assisted Resin
Transfer Molding (VARTM)
Seeman's Composite
Resin Injection Molding
Process (SCRIMP)
Hybrid of VARTM and
Vacuum bagging
One-sided tooling
Large-scale parts
Low void content
Automatic control
Injection Molding
For thermoplastic resins
commonly with short glass
fibers as reinforcements. No
chemical reaction occurs
during the molding process.
Available with CFC:
Battenfeld BA 1000/315 CDC
with B4 controls
-Clamp force (US tons) 110
-Tie bar distance (in)16.54 x 16.54
-Screw diameter (in) 1.18 and 1.77
-Injection capacity (oz)3.6 and 8.17
-Wear resistant barrel / screw sets
-High speed injection
Filament Winding
Rebars
FRP Beams
FRP Column Wraps
FRP Tension Members
FRP Laminates
FRP Bridge Decks
Top: Katy Truss bridge, Marion Co, WV
Bottom: Martha Queens bridge, Lewis Co, WV
Top: FRP deck over beams, Laurel Lick Bridge, Lewis Co, WV
Middle: Deck GFRP rebar, McKinleyville bridge, Brooks Co, WV
Bottom: GFRP in abutment, Martha Queens, Lewis Co, WV
Utility Poles
FRP Poles
Conventional materials*
40' long
40' long
Class 4
Class 4
Cedar
steel pole
wood pole
40' long
Class 4
concrete
pole
40' long
40' long
80' long
40' long
40' long
Class 4
Class 1
Class 1
Class 4
Class 1
FRP pole FRP pole FRP pole FRP pole FRP pole
ANSI O5.1
Cantilever
load, lbs
2400
2400
2400
2400
4500
Weight, lbs
~900
~600
~3000
~415
~600
~300+35
~370
~350
~900
~1500
~30-40
~80
~80
~80
~80
Cost, $
Lifespan,
years
4500
2400
80' long
Class 1
FRP pole
4500
4500
~800-900
~80
~100
~100
* Data from Feldman & Shistar, 1997. Penta treated Cedar wood pole has a maintenance cost of $35 per pole.
** Data from Shakespeare Product Datasheets and Strongwell Ebert Product Information.
~100
Flexural
modulus,
GPa
ILLS,
MPa
Fatigue
strength,
MPa
Fatigue
strength,
%
1200
110
42
860
72
1570
115
86
1180
80
Epoxy
1400
110
80
1100
80
New Applications