Description: NASA has a need for technologies that will enable them to repair damage to composite structures. Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials are fast gaining ground as preferred materials for the construction of aircraft and spacecraft. In particular, the use of composites as primary structural materials in several technology-demonstrator front-line aerospace projects worldwide has provided confidence leading to their acceptance as prime materials for aerospace vehicles. Respectively, materials and tools that can provide rapid, permanent or temporary repairs of composite structural damage in a space environment should follow the wide utilization of composites in airspace vehicles. This proposed project will result in the development of a fast cure repair kit for composites (C-kit) that will consist of the basic composite fabric preimpregnated (prepreg) with an ultraviolet (UV) light-curing resin, a dispenser containing UV curable resin with properties close to the basic matrix resin, and a battery-operated portable, efficient single light emitting diode (LED) as the source of UV radiation. The prepreg material, which will be in the form of tape and precut patches, and the resin will be stored separately in protective dispensers. The cure of each layer of repair material will take less than a minute. Surface cleaning materials will also be included in the kit. In this project, IOS will collaborate with a manufacturer devoted specifically to the development of UV cured adhesives for specific high end applications. This work will extend the knowledge and experience previously attained by the IOS/ SGL team in the development of light-curing adhesives for Navy ships corrosion protection and for corrosive barrier restoration in Navy fleet composite materials.

Benefits: The eventual commercial market for fast curable adhesives technology for structural repairs is vast and virtually unlimited. Examples of sectors that could benefit from this technology include the home repair, automotive, sporting goods, pipeline, marine, construction, landscaping, and many other industries. The superior properties of the adhesives necessary for composites repair extend the market to heavy industries such as shipbuilding, the new generation of aircraft, military track production, heavy weaponry, and large scale construction.

The structural repair kit will provide NASA with a versatile technology for in-space repair applications. Potential uses include the repair of such items as the composite parts onboard spacecraft, the international space station, habitats under development, and rovers. The broader use of composite parts in spacecraft in recent years has brought about the need for this technology.