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Research Thrusts |
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Engineering Education Innovation
As the world continues to change with globalization and technological advances so must engineering education p...
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Advanced Power System
In the face of an impending energy crisis, the Advanced Power Systems research center is exploring alternative...
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Space Systems
The Space Systems Research group is creating innovative electric propulsion systems to make space travel more ...
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Mechanics of Multi-scale Materials
The Mechanics of Multi-scale Materials research group uncovers the relationships of structures across the full...
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Multi-scale Sensors and Systems
The Multi-scale Sensors and Systems Research Group specializes in the design, fabrication, integration, and te...
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Sustainable Manufacturing and Design
Many of the campus research efforts on sustainability are coordinated by the Sustainable Futures Institute (SF...
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Research Projects
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MultiScale Modeling of the Effects of Physical, Chemical, and Hydrothermal Aging on Failure of Graphite/Epoxy Composites |
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Project Date:
09/2007-08/2010 |
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Web Site
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Gregory Odegard
Primary Investigator
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A. Bandyopadhyay
Co-Primary Investigator
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Sponsor:
NASA - Langley Research Center
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Graphite fiber/epoxy composites are one of the primary structural materials used in modern civilian and military aircraft. Their excellent specific-stiffness and specific-strength properties are due to a sophisticated microstructure on constituent materials. However, the presence of the complex microstructure leads to several possible failure modes, including the formation of craze zones in the polymer matrix and the degradation of the polymer/fiber interface. Furthermore, the potential for mechanical failure of these materials increases significantly when they are exposed to elevated temperatures and possibly moisture for long periods of time (aging). An improved understanding of the failure modes of aged composites at the atomic level can lead to improvements in the development and durability of graphite/epoxy composite materials used in many aircraft structures. The development of a multiscale modeling approach that relates physical, chemical, and hydrothermal aging mechanisms on the molecular level with mechanical behavior of graphite/epoxy composites on the structural level. Specifically, the modeling approach will predict the onset of crazing in the crosslinked epoxy resin, the elastic properties of the epoxy resin, and the stiffness and strength properties of the fiber-matrix interface in graphite/epoxy composites as a function of aging level and type. The results of this research can be used directly in current NASA damage models to assist the agency in understanding and predicting the effects of aging on current and future civilian and military aircraft.
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