Materials Testing
ADVANCED MATERIALS –
A FUTURE SOLUTION FOR A
NEW AEROSPACE REALITY
The qualification testing of hybrid
composites by Romanian researchers is
helping to prove the material’s suitability
for use in demanding aviation applications
// DR. PHYS. ADRIANA STEFAN
INCAS, Romania’s National Institute for
Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli” carries
out research and development activities
related to advanced materials and tribology
focused on composites, nanocomposites,
thermal barrier coatings and tribology for
aerospace applications. The institute’s
Advanced Materials and Tribology
Laboratories and research group were
initially established for the research work
of nanoadditives in polymer matrixes and
is currently involved in numerous national
and international projects.
The increase of the requirements
regarding the improvement of the
performance and the flight operations of
the modern aircraft has occurred on a
worldwide scale by improving the
performances of the materials and
manufacturing technologies in the field.
Both metallic and composite materials
are in continuous development to provide
superior performance with low weight,
higher resistance or better resistance to
heat and corrosion.
Many of the composite materials but
also the new alloys have overcome the
barriers of processing technologies, both
by structural modification and by the
creation of new technologies for their
production.
In the field of advanced materials, the
aim is to optimize the processes of
manufacturing of composite materials and
their structural improvement.
One of main interests in INCAS, for
structural materials, is carbon fiber. In this
area some of the most important research
is examining the polymeric composites of
carbon fibers, especially the thermoset
polymeric matrix reinforced with carbon
fibers and thermoplastic polymeric matrix
reinforced with carbon fibers. The results
are suitable for applications in aircraft
panels, doors and structural parts.
HYBRID COMPOSITES
INCAS researchers are focusing on a new
class of hybrids that are augmented
composites consisting of carbon fiber
52 SHOWCASE 2020 \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
composites based on nano-filled polymeric
matrix. Nanofillers, such as nanoclays or
CNT (carbon nanotubes), have the purpose
of improving mechanical characteristics of
the weak phase of fibre composites,
namely the polymer. A stronger matrix is
able to withstand much higher mechanical
loads, and consequently this allows the
fibers to sustain lower mechanical loads,
leading to an overall increase of final
composites properties.
INCAS has developed a novel technology
for obtaining hybrid laminates based on
nanofilled thermoplastic polymeric matrix
and carbon fiber fabric. Composites based
on thermoplastic polymer can be
developed using the successive
preservation technique in two types of
laminate. The qualitative hierarchy of the
materials was done based on the results of
mechanical testing. The mechanical tests
and the microscopic analyzes for the
impregnation degree highlight the
influence of the nanofillers on the modulus
of breakage in the samples. The samples
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